Unlikely friends
by A chance to fly
Summary: When sharing the same secret, even the most different kinds of persons can become friends… How will this new development effect the lives of Misaki and Shinobu? And how does Todou feel about it? Pairings: MisakiXAkihiko, ShinobuXMiyagi and HirokiXNowaki.
1. Clothes, cars and suspicious comments

**A/N: Hi there! This story finally has an author's note. For the ones who've read it before I added this, the website wasn't working very well yesterday and neither was my internet connection. I was surprised that the story even got posted! Anyway, this is my second Junjou Romantica story and I really hope you'll enjoy it. Chapter 2 is in the making, so hopefully I'll be able to post it this weekend. I'll try my best! In the meantime, enjoy the story and please let me know what you think!**

* * *

Green or blue?

Misaki stared into the mirror. The shirt was a perfect fit and, not unimportant if you were a college student, the price was acceptable as well. The only problem was trying to choose between the different colours.

_What would Usagi-san like?_

The question seemed to pop up in his head out of nowhere, and Misaki's reflection made it hard to ignore the fact that his cheeks were on fire. It was even worse that he knew the answer. Not so long ago, he'd asked Usagi-san what his favourite colour was. He couldn't remember what had brought the question up, but Usagi-san's answer had echoed around in his head for days after that. He could still recall the conversation perfectly.

"_My favourite colour is green, of course."_

_When Misaki looked at him questioningly, he added:_

"_Misaki's eyes are such a beautiful green. That's why I not only fell in love with you, but also with that colour."  
_

If possible, his cheeks became even more scarlet. This was really getting pathetic. He was just trying on some shirts. In a store. Alone. There was no need to get all flustered just because of a memory.

Frustrated, he put the shirts back on their hangers and opened the curtain.

"Finally! I was beginning to think you had starting living in there!"

A not-so-happy looking boy was waiting outside the fitting room. He was around Misaki's age, maybe a bit younger, with dirty-blond hair and grey eyes. His clothes looked expensive, and Misaki wondered why someone who obviously had a lot of money would come to this shop.

"Well, are you going to stand there all day?" The boy sent him another angry glare and then yelled over his shoulder: "Miyagi! You can use the fitting room now!"

Misaki, who was still standing with the curtain in one hand, felt really uncomfortable. If he hadn't let himself become distracted, he wouldn't have occupied the room for so long. He felt his face, which had just cooled down, heat up again.

"Erm, I'm really sorry…I was trying to figure out which colour was better and I kind of lost track of time…I'm really sorry to have bothered you."

He'd turned his gaze to the ground while speaking, but looked up when a new voice joined the conversation.

"Nah, it's okay, Shinobu-chin here is just a little impatient."

The speaker was a tall man with dark hair, probably somewhere in his thirties. While talking, he ruffled the boy's hair, which made the latter look even more pissed.

"Oi Miyagi, stop treating me like a kid!"

The older man laughed at the comment and withdrew his hand.

"But you _are _a kid, Shinobu-_chin_."

Misaki just stood there, looking back and forth between the two. Strangely, they reminded him of Usagi-san and himself. Could it be… He shook it out of his head before it could become a real thought. There was no way, not everyone was like that. Plus these two had a huge age gap.

"Do I need to remind you of yesterday? I'm sure you didn't see me as a kid _then_, old man."

Miyagi´s eyes widened.

"Shinobu..."

The boy huffed and averted his gaze.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…Go try on those clothes, I'll be in the book store next door."

Shinobu turned and strolled toward the exit, followed by two pairs of eyes.

"Shinobu!" Miyagi called after him, but the boy didn't react. The man sighed and turned back to Misaki.

"I'm sorry about that, he's kind of impossible…Sometimes I don't know what I'm doing with him."

The last part seemed to be muttered to himself, but Misaki heard it anyway. He told himself not to see things, but at the same time he couldn't help but find the situation…suspicious. What would a thirty-somewhat year old man go shopping for with a boy from Misaki's age? Unless they were family...But for some reason, he didn't think that was the case. Plus…what was with that conversation just now?

"Erm…Well, I'll go now," Misaki muttered uncomfortably. He took a few steps forward to let the man enter the fitting room.

"Ah…yes, I should probably try these on," Miyagi responded, gesturing toward the clothes he was holding. He entered the room, but before closing the curtain, he turned to Misaki again.

"By the way, you should definitely buy the green one."

* * *

Shinobu exited the shop, but instead of going into the next door book store, he walked toward a nearby bench. Before sitting down, he angrily dropped his bag on the ground, scaring away a little girl who was already sitting on the other end of the bench. A woman, probably the mother, glared at him, but he really didn't care about that. Stupid Miyagi! Always treating him like a little kid, going on and on with his 'Shinobu-chin, Shinobu-chin' even when they were alone. Couldn't he just call him only by his name, like lovers were supposed to do? Okay, so he didn't even call Miyagi by his first name, but that was because he knew the other man wouldn't like it.

Shinobu let out a long sigh. He knew he shouldn't have said what he did in the shop. It was a public place, and that kid – who took _forever_ to try on some shirts by the way – was listening in on the conversation. Shinobu understood that they needed to keep it a secret, for the sake of both their reputations. Although he couldn't care less about his own 'reputation', it was important to Miyagi, so he went along with it. Plus, well…he understood Miyagi's other fear. Shinobu was pretty sure his father wasn't going to like it if he found out about their relationship. It would probably result in Miyagi losing his job – if not worse.

He tried to push these thoughts away to a dark and dusty corner of his mind. This was his day with Miyagi, damn it! He would wait for his lover to come out of the shop, and then they would have lunch together. After that…Shinobu felt his face heat up when he thought about what they would do when they were back in Miyagi's apartment.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone exiting the shop. At first he didn't pay much attention to it. Miyagi would need a little longer to try on the clothes, so it couldn't be him. Then he noticed that it was the boy from earlier. He was talking to someone on the phone and it appeared to be quite a heated argument. The boy looked really aggravated, which surprised Shinobu – just now, he had been stuttering the whole time, hadn't he?

The object of his observations didn't notice him staring at first. Only after he'd ended the conversation and put the phone back into his pocket, he looked up and saw Shinobu sitting on the bench. The surprised look on his face made him seem even younger and even more innocent than he probably already was. Shinobu wondered how old this guy was. He hoped for him that he wasn't working yet, because he looked like the type that would get eaten alive.

To his horror, the guy started walking toward him. That wasn't supposed to happen! Miyagi would come out of the shop soon and then they would spend their precious time together. There was no place for some random guy in that! Shinobu tried to give off an 'I _really_ don't want to talk'-air, but it was futile.

The boy stopped before him and nervously started playing with the hem of his coat.

"H-hey…erm…I was wondering…could I sit here maybe? Because someone's picking me up, but I have to wait a few minutes and…"

The glare Shinobu sent his way made him break of his sentence. God, this guy really was a softie. Shinobu wondered who had been on the other end of the line, and if he should respect that person for making this guy get mad, or pity them.

Ah well, it wouldn't hurt to let him sit down, would it? Miyagi could come out of the shop any minute now, and they wouldn't even have to talk. Plus he couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him.

With a shrug of his shoulders, he answered: "Sure, go ahead." He was rewarded with a little smile.

After a few minutes of uncomfortable silence, the other boy was the first to open his mouth.

"So erm…I was wondering, that man…is he family?"

Shinobu felt himself stiffen. That was a dangerous question. Determined not to let anything show, he snarled: "None of your fucking business."

Green eyes widened. The boy looked really taken aback. Served him right, for asking such a personal question when they were complete strangers.

It looked like he was going to say something back, probably apologize again, but at that moment, a huge red sports car drove down the street and stopped before the clothes store. A tall, handsome man, dressed in expensive looking clothes, came out of it. He looked around for a moment, then apparently found what he was looking for, and came walking toward their bench.

Shinobu was just asking himself why everyone came to disrupt his peace today, when it hit him. That guy sitting next to him was waiting for a drive. But this couldn't… He turned his head to the side and noticed his neighbour fidgeting and playing with the hem of his jacket again. _Oh._ Apparently, it could.

The newcomer was now standing before him and Shinobu took his time to examine him. He was definitely handsome, with silvery hair, delicate features and very unusual, violet-coloured eyes. Shinobu had the strange feeling that he had seen him somewhere before…Though that would be weird, because this was someone you wouldn't forget very easily.

"Misaki."

His voice was nice too, low and strong. Not as beautiful as Miyagi's, but definitely nice to listen to.

The boy next to him – whose name was Misaki, apparently – grabbed his bag and jumped up.

"Y-yes! I'm ready! Let's go, Usagi-san!" He tugged on the man's sleeve impatiently, but the latter didn't move. Instead, he turned his gaze to Shinobu.

"…Who's this?"

Misaki looked surprised.

"Oh! Ah…this is someone I just met…sort of. He shared his bench with me, that's all. It's no big deal, really!"

Shinobu wondered why he seemed so nervous. Of course it wasn't a big deal, so why pay so much attention to it?

"However…thank you, erm…"

He really didn't want to give his name, but staying silent would be too rude.

"Takatsuki…Shinobu."

"Ah…Thank you very much, Takatsuki-kun!" Misaki flashed a bright smile at him, then turned to the older man again.

"Can we go now, Usagi-san? I've got to make lunch and it's quite late already…"

The man looked at the boy tugging on his sleeve, and Shinobu noticed an affectionate smile creeping on his face.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, I've been hungry for a while now and I can't wait to have you home."

To Shinobu's surprise, Misaki turned bright red.

The man chuckled and ruffled his hair. Then he turned to Shinobu, gave him a little nod, and headed toward the car, followed by Misaki.

Miyagi exited the shop just when the car drove away. While he was staring after it in awe, Shinobu walked up to him.

"Hey, old man."

"Shinobu!" a surprised Miyagi cried. "Weren't you in the book store?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Nah, didn't feel like it."

"You're not still mad, are you?"

Shinobu shook his head. To be honest, he'd already forgotten about the argument. There was something else occupying his thoughts now.

"You'll never guess who was in that car."

Miyagi looked at him questioningly.

"That kid from the store just now."

"Eh? Seriously? He didn't look like he was very rich."

"Yeah, I know. Someone picked him up, though, so it's still possible that he's just an ordinary guy."

While their conversation turned to other subjects, such as what they were going to do for the rest of the day, Shinobu couldn't help but keep thinking about Misaki and the familiar-looking man. How come such a simple guy got picked up by an obviously rich man? They looked very different, too. And what kind of name was 'Usagi-san'?

He thought about the look 'Usagi-san' had on his face while looking at the younger man, and how Misaki's face had turned red. Then, Misaki's question from earlier sprang to his mind.

_I was wondering, that man…is he family?_

'No, we're not family, Misaki,' Shinobu thought. 'But neither are you and that man.'

* * *

**Chapter 2 spoilers (couldn't help myself): Misaki doesn't even make it into the kitchen and Todou makes his appearance in the story ;D**


	2. Ruined lunch and a revelation

**A/N: Here's chapter 2! I'm really sorry it took me this long. I had planned to update last weekend, but that didn't work out, unfortunately. Also, Todou doesn't appear yet, because things turned out a bit differently than I had expected in this chapter. But I promise he'll be there right from the start of the next chapter! On the bright side, this chapter is (slightly) longer than the last one. Hurray! Thank you all so much for the reviews/favorites/follows, they make me really happy! And a special thanks to JMarieAllenPoe for giving some useful tips. :D I hope you'll all enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Misaki didn't even make it into the kitchen. The moment he'd entered the apartment, the door was closed and he was shoved against it.

"U-usagi-san…Now's not a good time, I've got to make lunch…"

The man smirked, violet eyes sparkling.

"So you're saying it's okay _after_ lunch?"

The comment made Misaki flush. He struggled to get out of Usagi-san's grip, but the author was too strong.

"Baka-Usagi!"

"You know, I offered you a choice. But, seeing as you won't reply _and _insulted me, I guess I'll just have my way with you now…"

Misaki's eyes widened. Damn it, why did this man always have an answer ready? Again, he unsuccessfully tried to free himself.

"N-no! It's way too early to be doing such things! I really need to prepare some food, so please-"

He stopped when he felt a cold, familiar hand sliding under his T-shirt.

"A-ah…Usagi-san!"

He was turned around, so that his back was facing Usagi-san, and then the hand started travelling up and down, leaving burning traces all over his chest. The sensation of the mix between cold and hot was addictive, and just so like Usagi-san. Misaki had to admit to himself that he loved the feeling. Wait – no! He couldn't let himself get used to this!

"Misaki…"

Misaki felt his face heat up, and became even more flushed when another hand came into action and started fumbling with his belt. He knew where this was heading. While he was still having a mental debate about whether or not he should try to stop Usagi-san one more time, he sensed a familiar buzzing feeling.

"U-usagi-san…my phone…'

The novelist had managed to undo his belt with one hand and was now busy working on the button of his jeans.

"Who cares?"

He should probably be already used to it, but Misaki still felt a slight pang of irritation.

"It's my phone, of course I care! I've got a life, you know!"

Because his back was turned to Usagi-san, he couldn't see his face, but he just knew the man was raising his eyebrows. He also had a pretty good idea of what was coming next.

"Oh? What could possibly be more important in your life than _me_?"

"B-baka! I've got friends who might need me or want to see me!"

Usagi-san suddenly pulled his hand back. Surprised, Misaki tried to turn around, but before he could, two strong arms were firmly wrapped around him and he was pulled close to Usagi-san's chest.

"So you're saying you'd rather hang out with friends than spent some quality time with your lover?"

Misaki's face got even more heated and he felt like his heart could burst out of his chest any minute now. How was it possible that this man could make him feel this way with just one sentence? It seriously scared him.

"How the hell is this supposed to be quality time?!"

He tried again to shove Usagi-san away and surprisingly, it worked.

"I know exactly what you're trying to do! Don't you ever think about what I want? You don't even allow me to check my phone! It's ridiculous! Baka!"

Misaki didn't know where the words came from. They suddenly all came tumbling out of his mouth. He didn't even mean them, really. Sure, it were the things that annoyed him about Usagi-san: always sneaking up on him, never listening when he said no, being overprotective and extremely jealous. At the same time, however, these things were all part of Usagi-san, which meant…

Which meant he actually liked them.

He was so occupied by his own thoughts that he almost missed the expression on Usagi-san's face.

His violet eyes were wide, and full of an emotion Misaki couldn't place at first. Or rather, he could, but he still found it hard to believe, since he seemed to be the only one who could make Usagi-san look like that.

The man looked hurt.

Guilt immediately took over all of Misaki's thoughts, and he desperately tried to make things better.

"Ah, no, I mean…I didn't mean it, Usagi-san, I-"

His pleading words didn't seem to work. Usagi-san had his head bowed now, which made it impossible for Misaki to read more of the feelings on his face. He could tell something was seriously wrong, though. Usagi-san never had troubles with being open about his thoughts, except when he was really upset.

If he were Usagi-san, he would just say something to make the other person feel better. The novelist could probably fix this with just a few sentences. Misaki, however, had never been very good with words, especially not when it came to voicing his feelings.

"I-"

"I'm going to work. Make whatever you like for dinner, I don't really feel like eating."

Usagi-san started walking toward the stairs. Before climbing them he added, without looking back:

"If you decide to meet up with that friend of yours, make sure to leave a note."

Misaki could only stare after the man as he climbed the stairs and disappeared into his workroom.

_Shit._ He'd really messed up this time.

* * *

"So, what should we do for dinner?"

Shinobu shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't particularly care. We can go to a restaurant, or we can go back to your apartment. Although in that case, we should drop by the supermarket first, because I don't think the ingredients left from last time are very edible. I don't mind going grocery shopping, though."

He couldn't help but sound a bit hopeful. It had been a long time since he'd had any quality time with Miyagi, which meant they also hadn't…_done _anything the last couple of weeks. It wasn't like that was the only thing he was after, but still…

"Let's eat out, then. After all, it's been a while: we'd better spoil ourselves."

It stung a little. Was his cooking that bad? Shinobu knew he wasn't very good at it, but he'd definitely made a lot of progress since he started. Plus he always hoped that Miyagi would be able to taste the effort and the love he put into it.

Of course, he wasn't going to let his lover know.

"Sure. Whatever you like."

Miyagi suddenly stopped walking and turned to face Shinobu. Since they were in the middle of the sidewalk, this resulted into a passer-by bumping into him.

"Oi! Don't just stop in the middle of the street!"

Miyagi only shot him a quick look, then took Shinobu's arm and pulled him toward a store that sold electronics. He stopped in front of the shop window.

"What's up with you? You've been distant this whole time."

Shinobu stared at the TV's and laptops displayed in the shop window. He really didn't want to tell Miyagi; the man would probably say something about him being a brat or a kid, and that was the last thing he wanted to hear from his lover.

"It's nothing – Just thinking about that guy from earlier."

Miyagi rose his eyebrows.

"Eh? You're still thinking about that? He was just taking too much time to try on those shirts, it's not like that's something to be this bothered about."

"It's not that, it's just…I wonder what his relationship with that man was."

Miyagi still looked confused, so Shinobu offered a little more explanation.

"The man who picked him up – he looked familiar for some reason. And earlier, that guy – Misaki, I think? – asked me something… "

He trailed off. It might not be the best idea to tell Miyagi, since he already was so worried about people finding out about them.

"Shinobu."

Suddenly, his chin was grabbed and he was forced to look Miyagi in the eyes.

"Tell me. You know you can tell me everything, right?"

Shinobu tried to look away, but it was no use. Those beautiful, dark blue eyes always drew him in completely.

"He asked me about my relationship with you."

Miyagi's eyes widened and he let go of Shinobu's chin. It looked like this one sentence not only took him by surprise, but also made him realize they were in public.

"Don't worry, I didn't tell him. I know you want it to be a secret, so - "

"What _did _you tell him?" Miyagi interrupted.

"To mind his own business."

This made his lover cover his face with one hand and groan in frustration.

"This is bad…If even someone as innocent as that kid has suspicions…"

'_I knew I shouldn't have told him,'_ Shinobu thought. He had to make this right, somehow.

"Hey, who said anything about him having suspicions? He probably just wondered what and old guy was doing with a guy his own age."

"That's exactly the point! Remember that time we went out and those people thought we were escort and client? One time was bad, I don't want that to happen again."

Shinobu snorted.

"Yeah right, as if an escort would go shopping with his clients."

"That's not the problem! It's just – it's weird for us to be seen together."

Shinobu felt like his heart stopped for a moment. Did that mean Miyagi wouldn't go on dates with him anymore? Sure, staying home was great as well – as long as they were together, everything was fine, really – but…they were lovers! They were supposed to do things together – and not only _those_ things.

"So, you're saying you don't want to be seen with me anymore? Is that is? Are you so ashamed of me that you need to hide me?"

He knew very well that he was unreasonable, but he didn't care.

Miyagi sighed and brought a hand to his hair, something he always did when he was upset.

"Shinobu-chin…We've talked about this several times. I know it's different for you, but I'm a working adult and I've got to think about my reputation…"

Suddenly, Shinobu felt like he couldn't take it anymore. All of the worries about being found out, all the irritations about being treated like a little kid, and above all the doubt about Miyagi's feelings for him – it all just came out at once.

"There you go again! You're always, _always _treating me like a little kid! It's so annoying! Sometimes I wonder if I'm even more to you than a distraction from the memories of your precious sensei!"

He heard Miyagi gasp.

"Shinobu, you know that's not - "

"It's not? Than tell me what I have to do to make you see me as a proper lover! Tell me what I have to do so that you no longer see me as a little, annoying brat."

To his dismay, he felt tears welling up. He wasn't going to cry in public, damn it!

Miyagi took a step closer to him.

"Shinobu-chi…Shinobu. You've never been a substitute. Didn't I declare my love for you in front of sensei's grave? And I've never seen you as an annoying brat…Well, maybe sometimes, but never _really_…"

He knew that. He'd heard it before, multiple times. That didn't stop the feelings of doubt he was having, though. Sometimes words just weren't enough. Sometimes you needed actions.

"Proof it," he whispered. "Proof that you love me."

Miyagi looked taken aback. He stood there for a moment, completely frozen. Then he started moving forward, and before Shinobu could process what was happening, he was being kissed. In public. By Miyagi.

The kiss wasn't hungry, like a lot of their kisses were. This time, it was sweet and full of love and pain and longing. Shinobu forgot all about their surroundings and threw his arms around his lovers neck to pull him even closer, while Miyagi in return put his hands on Shinobu's waist.

They stayed like that for a while, until they had to break apart to catch their breathes. At that moment, it seemed like the rest of the world suddenly appeared again. Shinobu noticed that quite a lot of people glanced at them while walking by or pointed them out to their companions. Not all of the looks were very nice, but he couldn't care less. Miyagi had just kissed him on the street! Suddenly worried about how his lover would react to the stares, he turned his head.

Miyagi wore a surprised expression, like he couldn't believe what he'd just done. He didn't look like he would pull back though, so Shinobu let out a sigh of relief and relaxed. He buried his head in the crook of Miyagi's neck and mumbled: "Thank you." In response, his lover tightened the embrace.

Shinobu felt like he could stay like that all day, but after only a short time, he got the feeling that someone was staring at them. Like, _really_ staring.

He turned around and was met with a familiar face.

"Ta-Takatsuki-kun?"

* * *

**Tun-dun-dun! Who could it be...? ;D My apologies for leaving you with a cliffhanger, but it just seemed like the right moment to stop, otherwise the chapter would have become too long (if I write longer chapters, it's going to take even longer for me to update). I'll do my best to update a little faster this time. :)**

**Chapter 3 spoilers (things might turn out a little different, I'm never 100 percent sure what's going to happen next xD): Misaki and Shinobu meet again and we'll get some Akihiko POV.**


	3. Acquaintances and awkward conversations

**A/N: Remember how I said I was going to try to update faster?...Yeah, that didn't work out very well. I'm so so sorry for updating this late! I feel like a horrible writer. To make up for it, this chapter is a little longer than usual…So I hope you will forgive me. Please? *puppy eyes***

**I also have to come back on another thing I said. Todou-kun was going to appear in this chapter (and in the last chapter…I know xD), but that also didn't work out. I always have a vague idea what's going to happen in a chapter, but I never know precisely. Misaki is on his way to Todou, but well…I guess some things came between (some people ;P). Anyway, I hope the Todou-fans out there will be a little more patient. I really love him, so he is definitely going to have a role in this story! He's just such a wonderful friend to Misaki.**

**Now we're on the subject, 'JMarieAllenPoe' asked me to add some information about Todou for the readers who haven't read the manga. I have already prepared something (that was before I started writing this chapter), but since Todou isn't here yet, I'll wait with the information until he actually appears. ;)**

**Thank you all so much for the favorites/reviews/follows! It means a lot! And a special thanks to 'Spockaholic', 'JMarieAllenPoe' and 'hinatagirl18' for pointing out my 'Sempai' mistake (it's spelled 'Senpai' and it was actually his 'Sensei'…whoops. I'll do my research next time xD).**

**I hope you'll enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you think!**

**BTW, I just realized I haven't done a disclaimer yet. Well, for the ones who hadn't figured it out yet: I do not own Junjou Romantica (I wish I did, though. I mean, who doesn't? ;D)**

* * *

Misaki's day had been quite…unusual. First there was that embarrassing moment concerning the fitting room, then that strange guy – Takatsuki-kun, if he remembered correctly – had seemed to be really mad at him and to make things even better, he'd managed to make Usagi-san upset.

And now two people were kissing in public. Two _males_.

"Ta-Takatsuki-kun?"

The boy looked up, his expression a mixture between annoyance and surprise. The annoyance was winning, though.

"You again? Can't you see we're busy?"

The older man – what was his name again? – mumbled something.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Takatsuki replied. He turned around to face Misaki again.

"Is there anything we can help you with,…?"

O, right. He hadn't even had the chance to properly introduce himself, because an impatient Usagi-san had dragged him of to have 'lunch'. The memory made his guilt come back, but he quickly pushed it away. Now was not the time for that.

"Ah…yes. I'm Takahashi Misaki, it's nice to meet you."

This certainly was an odd situation.

"Well, you know my name. And this," Takatsuki gestured toward the older man, "is my lover, Miyagi Yo."

Misaki felt his eyes widen. So they really were lovers… He'd had that feeling already, but to have it confirmed was something else entirely. It wasn't every day that he met a gay couple… There was one thing that surprised him even more though: how could Takatsuki just say that? It was difficult enough to use the word in front of Usagi-san; he would probably never be able to just casually throw it into a conversation like that.

When both Misaki and Miyagi stayed silent, Takatsuki turned to his lover and snorted.

"Who's rude now, old man?"

Misaki realized that Miyagi was surprised by the younger man's words as well. Maybe he wasn't the only one who found the situation uncomfortable.

"Shut up, brat, it's your fault for saying such things out in the open."

This made Takatsuki laugh out loud.

"O, so what was your idea? Did you want to use the 'escort and client story' after all?"

It seemed Miyagi didn't know what to say to this, so he turned his attention back to Misaki.

"Forgive me for being rude. It's nice to meet you, Takahashi-kun."

"Y-yes! It's nice to meet you too, Miyagi-san."

An uncomfortable silence stretched between them. Misaki really didn't know what to do. If he kept quiet, they were probably going to think that he found their relationship strange, which was not true. He was dating a man himself, after all. And their age difference was indeed huge, but so was a ten year-gap.

However, it wasn't like he could just tell them.

Misaki was just about to say something about how his friend was waiting for him and would be worried – which wasn't even a lie, since he had an appointment with Todou - when Takatsuki broke the silence.

"So, to come back to my earlier question: is there something we can help you with, Takahashi-san?"

"Ah, no, not really. I'm really sorry for disturbing you. I'll be going, then…"

He started to turn around, but stopped when Takatsuki dropped another question on him.

"O by the way, Takahashi-san: what is_ your_ relationship with that guy?"

* * *

When he heard the apartment door being closed, Akihiko slowly dragged himself downstairs.

The living room wasn't as tidy as it usually was when Misaki had been home, which meant he had been in a hurry to leave. _To get away from me._ He tried to ignore the voice in his head.

There was lunch on the kitchen table, with a note next to it saying Misaki was at Todou's apartment. Seeing how his lover had prepared all this food for him, even though he'd said he didn't feel like eating, made him feel guilty. Maybe he'd overreacted, and this whole fight was actually his fault. But then he thought about Misaki, how he'd pushed him away and the words that he'd thrown at him: _"How the hell is this supposed to be quality time?!"_ He should probably already be used to his lover's resistance, but when he said things like that, it still hurt like hell. Didn't he understand that this was Akihiko's way of showing his love for him? What was so wrong about that?

He sighed, returned to the living room and let himself fall down on the couch. Misaki's voice kept haunting him.

"_Don't you ever think about what I want?"_

He thought they had settled that issue already. He really tried to give Misaki more space, but it was just so difficult. His lover was so clueless sometimes, and he only ever saw the good things in people. He loved that about him, but it also made him worry. Who knew how many idiots would try to lure away his Misaki in the future?

There was also the fact that he just couldn't control himself when it came to Misaki. The guy was just too adorable. Plus, if he didn't initiate anything, then nothing would happen at all. Misaki was still not used to their relationship. Sometimes he wondered what he would be like if he had a girlfriend. Would he still be this awkward? Akihiko couldn't help but smile at the thought. Probably. But he wouldn't be as insecure about the 'I'm having a relationship' part as he was now. He would be able to talk about it. With his friends, his family…

Akihiko let out a big sigh and lay down, with his head in Suzuki-san's lap. Takahiro. He wanted to tell him, and he knew Misaki wanted to as well. They still hadn't, however, because his lover was really scared of Takahiro's reaction. Akihiko couldn't blame him. He had never talked much with his family, and when they had realized he was gay, he was already living on his own. Not that he cared very much about what they thought about him. But Misaki and his brother were a totally different case. Takahiro had raised him, and they still were pretty close, even though Misaki always complained about being treated like a little kid. Akihiko couldn't imagine Takahiro hating Misaki, no matter what, but he understood that Misaki would be miserable when his brother wouldn't approve of their relationship. On the other hand, he knew Misaki was also feeling bad about not telling him. He made a mental note to talk about it with his lover.

He was gazing into the room when his eye caught something. Misaki had left his shopping bag in a corner. Not able to shake of his curiosity, Akihiko got up from the couch and picked it up. His eyes widened when he saw what was in it.

"_Usagi-san, what's your favorite color?"_

_They had been lying in bed and Misaki had looked so adorable, face still a little flushed and eyes almost closed. _

"_My favorite color is green, of course."_

The memory suddenly hit him like a car at full speed, and it brought tears to his eyes. Could he have been thinking about him when buying this? It wasn't very likely, but still…

"Misaki…" he whispered. He wanted to see him so badly now. Akihiko's eyes were drawn to the telephone. Misaki would probably get really annoyed when he called him, but he decided it was worth it.

* * *

The moment he'd seen Takahashi, Shinobu's sentimental feelings had made room for irritation. Seriously, what was it with this guy? Did he really have to interrupt all their moments together? He couldn't deny, however, that Takahashi had caught his interest. His relationship with the silvery-haired man was still an unsolved mystery, and it wasn't like Shinobu to stop before having the answer. So he decided the best thing to do was just ask him.

"O by the way, Takahashi-san: what is _your_ relationship with that guy?"

Misaki stopped dead. He slowly turned around, gaze focused on the ground. Even from this distance, Shinobu noticed that his face was red.

"T-that guy? I…I have no idea who…"

Shinobu resisted the urge to roll his eyes. This guy was by far the worst liar he had ever met.

"The man who picked you up earlier today. He looked kind of familiar to me, by the way. Is he famous or something?"

He actually meant it as a joke, what with the sports car and all, but Misaki's head shot up.

'Erm, yes…He's an author. Usami Akihiko."

Shinobu's jaw almost dropped. Usami Akihiko? No wonder he thought he'd seen the man before! He was currently one of Japan's best authors, and a favorite of both Miyagi and Shinobu.

Wait, so if he was correct…than this guy was dating a super famous person.

"Eh, really?" Miyagi asked. "That man's really talented! Now wonder he had such an expensive car…How did you two meet, Takahashi-kun?"

Shinobu inwardly smirked. Great, he had Miyagi on his side now too.

The other boy suddenly had a huge interest in the ground again.

"Well, you see, he's a friend of my brother, so when nii-chan moved and couldn't take me with him, I started freeloading at Usagi…Usami-san's house and I'm still living there now."

Talk about having good connections. Living with the famous Usami-sensei was pretty cool, Shinobu had to admit. However, there wasn't any reason to be this embarrassed about it. Determined to get his answer, he continued:

"So, you've become quite close, haven't you? He even came to pick you up."

Misaki's face turned a darker shade of red.

"Y-yes…He's quite insistent about that kind of thing…Probably because he is such close friends with my brother…And well, we've lived together for quite a long time now, so of course we've grown somewhat close…"

His tone started to become a little defensive, and Shinobu knew he was aiming in the right direction. Still, he felt like it could take a while with this guy, so he decided to stop evading the question.

"Are you lovers?"

* * *

Misaki was starting to get into full panic mode right now. How did he know? Takatsuki had only seen them together once, were they that obvious? He thought they were doing a good job at hiding their relationship. Misaki was aware of the fact that he wasn't the best liar, but he made sure never to bring up the subject of 'girlfriends' and he had made it very clear to Usagi-san that he wasn't going to show any public display of affection, ever.

So how had this guy found out?

Just when he was about to open his mouth to deny it, his cell phone started ringing.

"Ah, I'm sorry, my friend is probably waiting for me. Excuse me."

He quickly turned around and took a few breaths to calm himself, meanwhile looking at the display of his phone.

_Incoming call: Usagi-san_

Misaki almost dropped his phone. What was _he_ calling him for? He hesitated. It would be easier to just ignore the call, but that would look weird to Miyagi and Takatsuki. Not to mention the fact that he already felt guilty enough.

He took another deep breath and picked up the phone.

"H-hey."

He really had to find a way to stop stuttering so much.

"Misaki."

His heart skipped a beat when he heard Usagi-san's low, strong voice. He would never say it out loud, but he thought it was the most beautiful sound in the world. Although at this moment, it made him feel even worse for hurting the man it belonged to.

"Misaki, are you okay?"

He tried to answer, but found his voice suddenly didn't listen to him anymore.

"Misaki?"

At last, he managed to get something out.

"Y-yes, I'm okay."

He quickly looked over his shoulder. Miyagi and Takatsuki were watching him with curious faces. They had inched closer to each other again and just at that moment, Takatsuki slid his hand in Miyagi's. They looked…cute together. When he caught himself thinking that, he felt like hitting himself. Seriously, was he turning into a girl or something?! Still, they seemed really happy together.

Suddenly, all he wanted to do was go home and see Usagi-san.

"I…I miss you," he whispered, and then quickly covered his hand with his mouth. What had he just said?

"…Are you sure you're okay?"

Usagi-san sounded worried, which made Misaki feel even more like a burden. He was always troubling Usagi-san, wasn't he?

"Y-yes…I have to go now…Todou-kun is waiting for me…"

"You're still not at Todou's house? Where are you, then?"

"I erm…met some acquaintances on my way. I'll be going now though, so don't worry."

"Okay…be careful."

"Of course! I'm just walking on the street, baka!"

O crap. He hoped he hadn't screwed up again. But Usagi-san let out a laugh and Misaki released the breath he was holding.

"I know. I just can't help but worry about you. You sound like you feel better now, though."

Another chuckle followed.

"Anyway, have fun with your friend. Make sure you're home on time, maybe I can have dinner instead of lunch."

Misaki felt his face heat up rapidly.

"B-baka!"

He couldn't help but smile, though. It appeared Usagi-san wasn't upset anymore, and that made him incredibly happy. It suddenly felt like a huge weight had fallen of his shoulders.

"…I'll be on time," he mumbled.

He could practically hear Usagi-san smirk on the other side of the phone.

"I'm glad to hear that. And Misaki?"

"Hmm?"

"I miss you too."

This time, it felt like his heart completely stopped for a moment.

"See you at dinner, Misaki. I love you."

"Baka! D-don't say things like that on the phone! I'll be going now."

"Later, Misaki."

"B-bye."

He turned around, face still red, to find Miyagi and Takatsuki really staring at him now.

Suddenly, Takatsuki's face broke into a huge grin.

"You don't have to answer my question anymore, Takahashi-san. I think I figured it out myself."

* * *

**So, now they know about each other relationships… ;D I hope Shinobu wasn't too OOC in the end…I don't think I have ever seen him grinning before xD I hoped you liked this chapter. There wasn't much action, I suppose, but I hope the fluff in the end made up for it. ;) I had a slightly difficult start while writing this chapter (I started with Shinobu's POV first, but it didn't work out), but in the end I really enjoyed writing it. :) This time, I won't say anything about the next chapter, since it always turns out different than I expect (although Todou has to appear this time. I mean, how many chapters can a walk to a friend's house take? xD).**

**Okay, I'll quit with the rambling. I really hoped you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you think, and I hope to see you soon (with a new chapter :D)!**


	4. Video games and plans for visiting

**A/N: Look, look! It's a new chapter! Within a week! I'm so proud of myself now xD Plus, my chapters keep getting longer :)**

**On top of that, Todou-kun finally makes his appearance (yes, for real this time)! So now I'll add the information I promised :)**

**Misaki and Todou meet for the first time in volume 11 (act 18). Misaki has accidentally dropped his "The Kan" phone strap and when he goes back to find it (after freaking out xD), another guy picks it up. This is, of course, Todou, who turns out to be a huge fan of "The Kan" as well. Misaki leaves and regrets not asking for the guy's name, since he feels like they "could be awesome friends". Then in act 19, they meet again, and start taking about "The Kan" and how much they love it. They find out they're in the same year (third year) and that they're both 21. Todou Shinnosuke is majoring in law. He's also in the Kendo club, and he wants to become a police officer.**

**There is a lot more to say, of course, but I'll try to keep it to a minimum, otherwise this author's note will become way too long. If anything happens in this story that asks for more background information on Todou, I'll let you know of course. For this chapter, you should know that Misaki and Todou have had a conversation about girlfriends one time. Todou was telling Misaki about his relationship and how he thought it was not going to make it, and then he asked if Misaki had a girlfriend. Misaki said (while laughing nervously): "Erm…this…it may be counted, but at the same time not quite…" and Todou was like: "What?". xD And then Todou asked if it could be that Misaki was still a virgin, which Misaki denied. **

**Todou has met Akihiko more than once (and seems to think of him as a nice person), but as you could read above, he doesn't know about the relationship between him and Misaki. Will it stay that way, I wonder...;D**

**I think Todou is awesome. He is very nice and a real friend to Misaki (unlike Sumi, who is not always very nice… Sumi has already graduated, by the way, but he and Misaki still have some contact (they sometimes call each other)). **

**So, that's it for now. I really hope you'll enjoy this chapter. Thank you all so much for reading/reviewing/following/favoriting (that's not a word, I know ^^). I know I've said it before, but it really means a lot. So I hereby send you lots of virtual love and cookies :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Junjou Romantica**

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Misaki was finally standing in front of Todou's apartment. He pushed the door bell, took a few steps back and tried to catch his breath. He'd run most of the way, and his condition wasn't very good, since he didn't practice any sports. Although Usagi-san's favorite physical activity involving him was also pretty tiring… Before he could stop it, images were floating through his head. Usagi-san's voice…his cold hands…

"Misaki-kun! There you – Hey, are you okay?"

Misaki's head shot up. O crap. His face was probably even redder now than it had been before.

"Y-yeah…It's just that I ran most of the way. I was late due to…certain circumstances and I didn't want to let you wait too long."

For a moment, Todou looked like he was going to ask another question, but then he stepped back to let Misaki in.

"That's fine, don't worry about it. Please come in."

Misaki entered the apartment and felt like he could relax for the first time in a while. He was really glad to have met Todou; the guy had been a wonderful friend so far. Not only did they share the same passion (the awesomeness that was "The Kan"), but Todou was also a very kind and honest person. Even Usagi-san seemed to accept him. As far as Usagi-san would ever accept someone who got close to Misaki, that was. At least he didn't complain _that_ much when Misaki and Todou decided to meet.

While he was waiting for Todou, who was making some tea in the kitchen, Misaki let his thoughts wander to the earlier events from that afternoon. After Takatsuki-kun's statement, Misaki wished he could just sink into the ground, or become invisible, whichever was more convenient. Not only did these people, who were technically still strangers, know that he was going out with another guy, they had also overheard a super embarrassing phone call. The only positive point was that they hadn't heard Usagi-san's part of the conversation. Misaki didn't even want to think about how shameful _that_ would have been.

Then Miyagi-san suddenly came up with the idea that it would be nice to meet up with him and Usagi-san some time. He said he'd be really happy to meet the famous author, who was one of his personal favorite, and that it would also be nice for Shinobu to have a friend. At that, Takatsuki-kun had sent him a deadly glare – which he seemed to do a lot, Misaki had noticed – and snarled that it wasn't as if he hadn't any friends. But Misaki suddenly felt like a light had gone on. He had been so stupid! First, he'd been really surprised because of the scene he had witnessed on the street, and then he'd become really nervous when Takatsuki-kun was asking him all these questions about him and Usagi-san. He was used to keeping their relationship a secret, so he'd kind of panicked. But now it suddenly hit him. They were a _couple_. An even weirder one than he and Usagi-san were, if you looked at the age differences. Okay, so it was still really embarrassing that they'd overheard that phone call, and that Takatsuki-kun had been able to see right through him after only meeting him two times. But maybe it wasn't so bad that these people knew about his relationship with Usagi-san. Maybe…maybe he and Takatsuki-kun could really become friends, like Miyagi-san had suggested.

So when the two were done with their bickering, Misaki had invited them over for lunch next Saturday, and after some persuasion from Miyagi-san's side, Takatsuki-kun had put Misaki's number in his cell phone. He'd also given his number, after mumbling something about lovers and no sex this weekend. Misaki had pretended not to hear that.

Now the only thing left to do was to tell Usagi-san…and hope he wouldn't cancel the plan right away.

Just when he was thinking about how to persuade the author to let his new…friends? Acquaintances? He decided to settle for the term he had also used during the phone call with Usagi-san – come over next Saturday, Todou came walking into the living room with their drinks.

"So, Misaki, what have you been up to lately?"

Todou was looking at him with interest. That was one of the things Misaki appreciated about him – when he asked something, he honestly wanted to know the answer.

"O…erm….not much, really."

It was a huge lie, of course, but he couldn't just tell him about the events from that day. Trying to quickly change the subject, he decided to backfire the question.

"So what about you, Todou-kun? Any news?"

Did he imagine it, or did Todou's face just fall a little?

"Erm, well, I was hoping you had something nice to tell. My news is kind of depressing – well, not to you, but…"

He sighed, picked up his tea-cup to take a sip, apparently decided it was still too hot, and put it back down.

"You see, my girlfriend and I – we really broke it of this time."

Misaki's eyes widened a little. Poor Todou. He remembered a conversation they had a while back. Todou had said that his relationship probably wasn't going to make it. After that, Misaki hadn't heard much about it, so he had just assumed that it was going well again. Apparently not. He suddenly felt like a really bad friend, although he knew there was nothing he could have done to make things better.

"I'm really sorry to hear that, Todou."

Todou smiled a little.

"Thank you, Misaki-kun. I'm really glad you could come over today. I was hoping to take my mind of things. Talking about "The Kan", or playing some video games maybe?"

"Of course! Whatever you like."

His friend smiled again, although it didn't reach his eyes. Misaki noticed this and decided that this was the moment he had to step in as a friend and help Todou to get through this. Determined to make the guy really smile again, he said:

"So, what kind of video games do you have?"

* * *

Shinobu felt like he was on top of the world.

Okay, there had been some disturbances today. Well, one big disturbance actually: Takahashi Misaki. But looking back, it hadn't been that bad. After all, if Takahashi hadn't showed up and asked him about his relationship with Miyagi, they would never have had that discussion, which also meant that Miyagi wouldn't have kissed him on the street. And that event had led to some subtle, but really appreciated changes. For example, when Shinobu had reached for Miyagi's hand his lover hadn't rejected it, had even intertwined their fingers. The happy, bubbly feeling which had filled Shinobu at that moment was probably strong enough to last for the entire week. When people had stared at them on the street, Miyagi hadn't complained or talked about reputations even once. And now, they were having a (really late) lunch in a restaurant that was mostly visited by couples, because of the many private areas and cosy atmosphere.

When the waiter came to ask if they had already decided on what to eat, Shinobu noticed that Miyagi seemed a little…nervous. Or maybe insecure was a better word. He couldn't remember seeing his lover like that in public before, so it felt kind of weird. Then suddenly, it hit him.

O. Miyagi was _trying_ not to care. For him.

He felt his cheeks flush before he could try to prevent it. Miyagi looked at him questioningly.

"What's wrong, Shinobu-chi…err…Shinobu?"

This made his face heat up even more. His lover was really trying to be considerate of him, wasn't he? First the public display of affection, then ignoring all the stares, bringing him to a romantic restaurant and now trying to drop the honorific he liked to use when addressing Shinobu.

"Erm, you know…You can use it as a nickname, if you like. I don't really care, it's more like…I would appreciate it if you didn't use it in a serious conversation, is all."

He refused to look his lover in the eyes. Damn, this was really embarrassing. But he couldn't help but also feel really, really happy.

He heard Miyagi chuckle. Apparently he'd noticed how red his face was. Great.

"You really are cute, Shinobu-chin. Thank you."

The waiter came back with their lunch, and they were both silent for a while. After taking a sip of his drink, Shinobu cleared his throat.

"Erm, thank you. For…"

He wasn't sure how he could describe it, but from Miyagi's look it was clear that he didn't know what he was talking about, so Shinobu tried again.

"For thinking about me, I mean. You know, kissing me and all…"

Did he imagine it or was that a blush on Miyagi's face? Who knew his older lover could be cute as well? Suddenly, Shinobu felt the urge from earlier that day, to go home as fast as they could, come up again.

"Ah…yes. It's just…I can imagine it must be hard for you, too. And I hate to see you cry."

His words surprised Shinobu. It wasn't very often that Miyagi put his affections into words like that. His lover looked like he was surprised too, and when he not-so-subtly changed the subject, Shinobu realized he was embarrassed as well.

"So, I hope you don't mind that we're invited to have lunch with Misaki-kun and Usami-sensei?"

O, yes. That. Honestly, Shinobu didn't know what to think about it. He'd been a bit (okay, a lot - so much even that he'd used the 'no sex this weekend' threat, which he'd taken back almost immediately) offended when Miyagi had suggested he could use a friend. Like he hadn't any! But when he'd calmed down enough, he'd realized that Miyagi had a point. Takahashi knew about their relationship and even had a boyfriend himself. It would indeed be nice to have someone to talk to, especially someone who was in the same situation. There was one thing, though…

"Do you seriously think we can become friends? I mean, he's not the type I'd usually hang out with."

Miyagi raised his eyebrows.

"What's wrong with Takahashi-kun? He seems like a good kid."

Shinobu snorted.

"Yeah, a little too good. He could do with a little more backbone. Plus, you're just saying that because you want to meet Usami Akihiko-sensei."

Although, Shinobu had to admit, meeting one of his favorite authors _was_ kind of cool. And backbone or not, he could use a friend like Takahashi.

"Okay, fine," he said, before Miyagi had a chance to reply. "I'll try to be friends with him. But you better make sure we can have our weekly date on another day. This is your responsibility, after all."

"How the heck is this - "

His lover cut himself of when he realized he was fighting a losing battle. Shinobu smirked and picked up his chopsticks again. Before he continued to eat, however, he put his left hand on the table and moved it toward Miyagi's. After a slight hesitation, his lover took his hand and intertwined their fingers. They shared a glance, smiled and got back to their dinners.

Yes, this had definitely turned out to be a great day.

* * *

It was five o'clock before he knew it. When he was with Todou-kun, time just seemed to go by so fast. They never ran out of subjects to talk about, and this afternoon, Misaki had laughed more than he had in the whole week.

However, he really needed to go home now. Usagi-san would be waiting for him, and he didn't want to screw up another appointment. He'd decided to make Usagi-san's favorite food, and after dinner…Well, he'd better not think about that when he was still at Todou's house. Before he pushed the subject to a corner of his mind, however, Misaki decided he would try not to resist _too_ much. It wouldn't be easy, but if it made Usagi-san happy…Then he would try his hardest.

"I'm sorry, Todou-kun, I really need to go now. I promised Usa-Usami-san to be on time to make dinner."

It felt weird to use the author's real name, but it would be even weirder if he used the nickname when other people were around.

Todou nodded understandingly.

"Sure, it's quite late already. Time really flies when you're having fun! Thanks for coming over today, Misaki. It made me feel a lot better."

Misaki smiled at his friend.

"No problem, really. I had a great time as well."

He was rewarded with a smile back, and Misaki was happy to see that it was the same, carefree smile Todou usually wore. At least for now, his friend seemed to be feeling much better.

"I could get used to this, you know. How about you come over next Saturday as well? We could go out to have lunch first, and then see what we want to do."

If there was one thing about Todou-kun that wasn't perfect, Misaki would say it was the fact that he didn't know about his relationship with Usagi-san. If he did, he would have been aware of the fact that it was practically impossible for Misaki to have dinner with someone other than his landlord, since Usagi-san insisted on sharing every meal possible with him. Today had proven that as well, what with the author coming to pick him up after shopping…Oh.

Suddenly he remembered his conversation with Takatsuki-kun and Miyagi-san.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I already have an appointment next Saturday. Well, I'm not really sure if it's on, but…"

Todou looked a little disappointed, but kept smiling nonetheless.

"O, that's a shame. Well, let me know if it gets cancelled. And of course, I'll see you Monday at school."

"See you Monday, Todou-kun. Enjoy the rest of your weekend!"

After saying their goodbyes, Misaki started to head in the direction of Usagi-san's apartment. The moment Todou's lively presence was gone, Misaki felt tiredness coming over him. It had been an eventful day, to say the least, and he knew it wasn't over yet. There were still a few things he had to do…Starting with persuading Usagi-san into letting Miyagi-san and Takatsuki-kun come over next weekend.

* * *

Akihiko didn't like to share Misaki with anyone. Therefore, he'd never invited his childhood friend over to meet his young lover. Plus, there were some things concerning him and Hiroki that could better stay in the past. If Misaki found out, it would only upset him.

However, now that Misaki was bringing some friends – acquaintances, as the boy insisted on calling them – Akihiko felt like he might need some too. Or well, one at least. He wouldn't call that giant boyfriend of Hiroki's a friend, and he'd rather not have him over, but he knew it was inevitable. The guy seemed to be the persistent type. Moreover, he seemed to have a strong dislike for Akihiko, which made the author wonder just how much Kusama knew about Hiroki's and his past. Anyway, these reasons would be enough for the doctor to invite himself as well.

Akihiko sighed. It wouldn't be very nice to get glared at the whole time – but on the other hand, he didn't really care about other people's opinions. With the exception of Hiroki and Takahiro, and Misaki of course, that was. He thought about how Misaki would happily chat with the younger guy, while he would be left behind to make conversation with the older half of the couple, who was not only a complete stranger, but also a couple of years older than him. And a fan, from what he'd gathered from Misaki's excited babbling. If there was one kind of people Akihiko didn't like talking too, it were his fans. And he _absolutely_ didn't want any of them in his house. But looking at Misaki, who was talking animatedly, with a broad smile on his face and his green eyes shining, Akihiko knew he couldn't refuse him.

"Okay, okay, let them come."

Immediately, Misaki's beautiful eyes lit up even more.

"Really? Thank you, Usagi-san!"

The boy looked absolutely adorable. So of course, Akihiko just had to kiss him.

"Hmpff - Usagi-san!"

He couldn't suppress a grin. Some things never changed. However, his lover was still making too much noise, if you asked him.

He sneaked his hands under Misaki's shirt and let them travel up and down the small back, exploring the smooth, soft skin he loved so much. When Misaki grew quieter, he took his chance and moved his lips to the boy's neck, were he began licking and sucking the pale skin until he was finally awarded with a moan. He felt some of his lover's resistance fall away. Good.

With one swift movement, he picked him up and put him over his shoulder.

"U-usagi-san?!"

Akihiko could perfectly imagine the kind of face Misaki was making right now, eyes wide and cheeks flushed from their – well, _his_ – previous actions. Normally he would wait a little longer before taking them to the bedroom, but since his lunch plans had failed, he was at his limit now.

"You promised me dinner, didn't you?"

He looked over his shoulder at Misaki's face, which was beet-red, just as he'd thought. So adorable.

It was silent for a moment and then Misaki said:

"W-well that's true but…I'm seriously hungry…Can't you just wait until after dinner?"

Akihiko almost dropped the boy. Did he just _ask_ for sex? Okay, so it wasn't technically _asking, _since they both knew he would have his way with Misaki anyway, but still. Asking to move it to a later moment instead of trying to cancel it was definitely improvement.

He suddenly felt incredible happy.

"Well, you could have just said you'd rather have me as a desert."

Of course, he just had to tease his lover a little bit. He let him slide of his shoulder, so that they were now face to face, and after taking in Misaki's embarrassed and oh-so-cute-face, he pulled him closer and started nibbling on his ear, which earned him a surprised yelp from the boy.

"Although, now that I think about it, I don't know if I can wait that long," he whispered in his lover's ear.

"B-baka-Usagi!"

He chuckled.

"Alright, we'll do it your way tonight. Just hurry up with dinner, otherwise I can't promise I won't attack you anyway."

He released Misaki, who looked positively stunned that the author actually listened to him.

"A-are you sure?"

O God. No, he wasn't, especially not when Misaki was looking like that.

"Don't go asking that kind of question when you don't want me to jump you."

"A- yes! I'll make dinner!"

Misaki fled to the kitchen, while Akihiko stayed behind in the living room. He sighed. It wouldn't be easy to wait even longer, but he tried to lift his spirit by imagining how he would make up for the lost time after dinner. A smile crept on his face. God, he loved that boy so much.

For now, however, there was one more thing he needed to do. While Misaki was putting pans on the stove and looking for the right ingredients in the fridge, Akihiko picked up the phone and made a quick call.

Next Saturday would certainly be interesting.

* * *

**Poor Todou-kun. But, he finally made his appearance! I hope it wasn't disappointing, since not much happened, but don't worry: he will be back :) **

**My apologies to Terrorist fans: I realize they haven't gotten as many page space in this chapter as Romantica has. It's just that I started with Misaki's parts and then the Akihiko part popped up in my mind, so I wrote that right away. Since this took up a lot of space already, the Terrorist part is shorter. I'm really sorry, but I don't want to make the chapters too long, since I can't keep up with that. I hope the fluffiness made up for it, though. I loved writing about how they had some PDA :D O, and there will (probably) be some Miyagi POV in the future as well. I was actually writing some for this chapter, but it became too long so I scrapped it. I saved it on my laptop, though :)**

**And...Misaki and Shinobu had the same idea! That's probably the first time xD "Maybe we can become friends..." So yeah, we're finally getting somewhere ;) **

**I hope you like the fact that the Egoist couple will be playing a part in this fic. I'd been thinking about it before, and then hinatagirl18 brought it up in a PM, which got me thinking again. Thank you! :) Personally, I'm really excited about it, since I love them so much :D I hope I can do them justice…**

**The next chapter will probably (hopefully) be the "big meeting"…^^ I'm really excited about that as well…For some reason, I'm feeling enthusiastic all over again about writing this story :D**

**Until next time! And please let me know what you think! :D**


	5. Cooking, cigarettes and cocky brats

**A/N: Hey there! I am so so sorry! It's been two weeks already since I last updated. School's been a bit busy. But to make up for it: this chapter is the longest one yet! Actually, it was even longer, but I decided to split it up since I don't want the chapters to become **_**too**_** long. The bad news: you'll have to wait for Shinobu's POV (and Nowaki's) until the next chapter. The good news: I've already written four pages, which means this time, it won't take me two weeks to update ^^ **

**It took me ages to write this, because I've re-written some parts (especially at the end) in another POV. I had a lot of fun though, especially since I got to write Egoist for the first time :D Anyway, I'll quit the rambling and let you read. ;D I really hope you'll enjoy it. Thank you all so much for your support, and please keep letting me know what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Junjou Romantica.**

* * *

The past week had flown by and Misaki couldn't believe it was already Saturday again. He'd been so taken up by school, doing chores, trying to distract Todou from his heartache and, of course, Usagi-san's usual antics, that he hadn't even had time to make a plan for the lunch appointment.

"Ah, damn it!"

He was currently standing in front of a very empty refrigerator. In all his busyness, he'd also forgotten to go grocery shopping. He took a look at the clock. Ten thirty. Their guests wouldn't come until twelve, so if he hurried then he could…

"Morning…"

Usagi-san came down the stairs, looking even more lifeless than usual. Knowing Usagi-san, Misaki figured it was probably because of today's plans. Even though the author had agreed when he had asked him if some new acquaintances (possibly friends) could come over, Misaki knew he didn't really want them too. But…Usagi-san had said that some childhood friend of his would come over too, hadn't he? Shouldn't he be excited about that, then? As far as Misaki knew, Usagi-san didn't have many good friends, so to meet up with one had to be nice. He recalled Usagi-san's happy face whenever he was talking to nii-chan and couldn't help but feel a slight pang of jealousy. Misaki knew Usagi-san didn't love his brother anymore, but still…

Two arms slid around him and he was pulled backwards.

"U-usagi-san!"

He felt the other man's breath on his ear.

"Aren't you going to tell me 'good morning' today?"

"Ah, erm…Good morning, Usagi-san!"

Usagi-san chuckled and pressed a light kiss to his temple, which sent a chill down Misaki's spine.

"O, erm, yeah! I have to go to the supermarket, since there aren't enough ingredients left to make lunch for everyone. So I'll be going now…"

He tried to escape from Usagi-san's grip, but the author only pulled him closer.

"Come on, Usagi-san, there isn't much time left…"

Soft kisses were pressed against his ear, his left cheek, his jaw line, his neck… Usagi-san was being uncharacteristically gentle today and Misaki wondered if that was a good or a bad thing. It certainly didn't feel bad, though…No, wait! What was he thinking?! He couldn't let himself be swept away like this, otherwise they would end up in Usagi-san's bedroom and probably stay there until their guests came. Misaki didn't even want to think about how embarrassing that would be. Plus it would mean that there wouldn't be any lunch at all.

Knowing from experience that he wasn't able to just push Usagi-san away, Misaki waited until his grip loosened a bit and then ducked out of Usagi-san's arms.

"I'm sorry, but I really need to go now. I'll be back in a bit. There's some breakfast right over there, just heat it up if you want to eat it."

He picked up his bag from the ground and was just about to put on his coat, when Usagi-san's voice stopped him.

"Misaki…wait a second, please."

Misaki turned around, surprised. Usagi-san didn't sound like he was trying to hold him back to do more perverted things to him, for a change. Instead, he sounded really sincere. Misaki watched him walking up the stairs and disappearing for a moment, then coming back while holding a plastic bag in his hands. Misaki's eyes widened when he realized which bag it was.

"You bought this last weekend, didn't you?"

Misaki nodded hesitantly, not sure where Usagi-san was going with this question. He'd bought the shirt in the shop where he'd met Takatsuki-kun and Miyagi-san. After that, Usagi-san had driven him home and they had that fight…Misaki figured he must have dropped the bag somewhere during that time and then he'd forgotten all about it.

While walking toward him, Usagi-san held up the shirt.

"_My favorite color is green, of course."_

Misaki felt his heartbeat speed up and his face turn red at the memory. He desperately told himself to calm down. It wasn't like Usagi-san knew the reason why he'd chosen this color, so there was no need to get all embarrassed about it.

"Did you think about me while buying this, Misaki?"

Or maybe there was.

"O-of course not, ha ha. There were two colors and I didn't know which one I liked better, but then Miyagi-san said this one suited me best, so…"

When he saw Usagi-san's eyes narrowing, he knew he'd made a mistake.

"I-I mean I was going to buy this one anyway, b-but hearing it from someone else made me feel more secure about it…"

Before Misaki had even realized he was moving, Usagi-san was standing in front of him.

"So you're saying you don't remember our conversation?"

Violet eyes were piercing right through him, and Misaki couldn't help recalling more of _that_ conversation.

"_That's why I not only fell in love with you, but also with that color."_

Misaki tried his hardest to keep a straight face, but it was no use. As always, Usagi-san saw right through him. He braced himself for an attack, or at least a teasing comment, but to his surprise, Usagi-san's face broke into a huge grin. His eyes started shining and his whole face lit up. Misaki couldn't stop the thought that sprung in his head.

_He's even more handsome when he smiles like that._

"Thank you, Misaki. I'm really, really happy."

Usagi-san took a step forward and put his arms around him. After a slight hesitation, Misaki let his head rest on his shoulder. The moment didn't last very long, however, because his eyes landed on the clock.

"Ah, I really have to go now, it would be bad if we aren't ready when our guests arrive."

He could feel Usagi-san sigh, but the man let go of him anyway.

"You know, we could still cancel the appointment."

"Baka Usagi! It would be super rude to do that at the last moment! Plus it will be fun, right? You get to see one of your friends too, after all. Ah, right, I've been wanting to ask you: who is it? Someone I know?"

Usagi-san's grin turned into a mischievous one and Misaki decided he didn't like it one bit.

"Hmm, I guess you do. It's a surprise, though, so you'll just have to wait and see."

This only increased Misaki's worries, but he decided not to press the subject any further.

"Okay, then I'll be going now!"

He turned around, but was stopped by Usagi-san once more.

"Ah, just one more thing, Misaki."

He turned back around.

"What is it?"

"Could you do me a favor and wear this shirt today?"

Usagi-san motioned toward the article of clothing he was still holding in one hand.

"I'd really like to see you in my favorite color, you know…"

"B-baka Usagi!"

Misaki quickly turned around, grabbed his coat and put on his shoes.

"I'll be right back, see you soon!"

"Be safe!"

It was only when the door was closed behind him that Misaki dared to breathe again. He really hoped Usagi-san hadn't seen how red his face was. That idiot! How was it possible he could make him get so flustered over such a stupid little comment? He couldn't help but smile, though, when he recalled Usagi-san's happy face.

Maybe he'd wear the shirt after all.

* * *

"Hiro-san."

Hiroki groaned and turned his back to the sound.

"Hiro-san, wake up."

He became vaguely aware of a hand stroking his hair and he slapped it away with all the strength he could muster in his current state. God, couldn't they just let him sleep?! It was way too early to get up. He pulled the covers over his head and hoped they would go away.

The hand was persistent, however, and he felt how the covers were drawn back again.

"I know you want to sleep, but it's eleven thirty already. It would be rude to keep Usami-san waiting."

Usami-san? Ah wait, that would be…Akihiko…

Akihiko!

Suddenly wide awake, Hiroki shot up.

"Shit," he murmured under his breath. "That stupid Akihiko."

His childhood friend Usami Akihiko, occasionally (okay, very often) known as 'Bakahiko', had persuaded him into coming to some sort of lunch appointment today. He'd also invited Nowaki, since _"That freakishly tall boyfriend of yours would come along anyway"._ So here he was, about to sacrifice his free time to have lunch with some people he didn't know, plus his first love and his current lover.

How wonderful.

He turned his attention to Nowaki, who was looking at him with a worried frown on his face.

"I'm really sorry, Hiro-san. There was an emergency case. I left as soon as I could, but it's still very late…"

Yesterday, they'd agreed that Nowaki, who had a night shift at the hospital, would wake him up as soon as he got home. Hiroki had argued that he could just set his alarm clock, but Nowaki, knowing perfectly well how much Hiroki hated the damn thing, had persisted that he would be the one to wake him up. Hiroki thought about dropping an 'I told you so'-comment, but Nowaki's guilty face stopped him. He couldn't help it if he had to stay longer at his work, after all. On top of that, he was probably exhausted, and still here he was, ready to go to some stupid appointment he probably really didn't want to go to. All for Hiroki's sake.

The thought made him blush and he quickly shook it out of his head.

"Ah, that's okay. I don't particularly care if we're late. It's just Akihiko, after all. Plus you just worked the whole night, it's only natural."

Nowaki grinned and Hiroki noticed that he looked relieved. Good. Hopefully he wouldn't feel guilty anymore now.

"Yes, that's right. Plus Hiro-san is the one that always oversleeps, even when I wake you on time."

Hiroki narrowed his eyes. That brat was really getting cockier every day.

"Watch what you're saying, brat, or I'll leave you here."

Nowaki's teasing expression changed to a slightly worried one.

"Eh? But Usami-san invited me too!"

Hiroki frowned when a thought suddenly came up in his head.

"I thought you didn't like Akihiko? Since when do you talk about him without the 'I hate his guts' - face?"

His lover's gaze darkened for a moment and Hiroki felt like hitting himself. Akihiko was always a dangerous subject to talk about, especially in this way. He breathed a sigh of relief when Nowaki's face turned back to his usual happy expression.

"Well, I still don't really like him, but I figured I should give him a chance. It's been a long time after all, I shouldn't judge people based on old impressions."

His smile was as warm and honest as always. However, Hiroki couldn't help but be a bit skeptical. Sure, it had been a long time, so Nowaki could have gotten over the Akihiko thing, but still…Hiroki knew his boyfriend was pretty jealous when it came to him. Yes, there was definitely something fishy about this.

"Well, you'd better change, Hiro-san. If we hurry, we won't be _that_ late. It would be very rude to keep everyone waiting when they're about to have lunch."

Hiroki nodded and reluctantly dragged himself out of his warm bed. Nowaki disappeared from the room, probably to make some more preparations, but not before lightly kissing Hiroki's cheek. He chuckled when his older lover turned bright red and walked away while humming contently.

"Brat," Hiroki muttered.

While pulling some random garments out of his closet, he wondered how, and more importantly _if_, he was going to survive this day.

* * *

At twelve o'clock sharp, Shinobu pushed the doorbell of Usami Akihiko-sensei's apartment. Miyagi couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. It was ridiculous, really. He was already in his thirties, but he felt like a high school kid who was waiting on his idol. That was kind of how it was, though, since Usami-sensei had been one of his favorite authors for a while now.

He could hear footsteps approaching and then the door swung open to reveal the novelist himself. Miyagi tried his best not to stare, but found it very hard. The image seemed to resemble the Usami-sensei he'd seen on TV a few times before: formal clothes, tie, silvery hair, violet eyes, handsome face…However, something was off. Miyagi couldn't quite say what it was, though, until he noticed the way in which Usami was looking Shinobu up and down. The great novelist, who was admired by a lot of women not only for his looks but also for his generous smile and kind words, gave off a cold, hostile atmosphere.

Usami's intense gaze shifted toward Miyagi and he had to try his best not to cringe. Who did this man think he was? Famous or not, this was no way to treat your guests. Miyagi made sure to keep a straight back and look him directly in the eyes. He wouldn't back down, especially not with Shinobu standing next to him.

After a few uncomfortable seconds, which felt like hours, Usami took a step back and opened the door a little wider.

"You must be Miyagi-san and Takatsuki-kun. Come in, please."

The apartment was beautiful and incredible spacious. Attached to the huge living room was an open kitchen, in which Takahashi-kun was preparing lunch. He left his cooking for a moment and dashed toward them.

"Good morning – erm, I mean afternoon!"

"Hey," Shinobu replied.

Takahashi had swept back his hair with a few hair clips and he was wearing an apron. Underneath, Miyagi noticed an article of clothing that looked really familiar for some reason. It took a few seconds before it clicked in his head.

"Good afternoon, Takahashi-kun. Is that the shirt you were trying on last time?"

Takahashi smiled brightly and nodded.

"Yes, it is. Thank you for helping me out, Miyagi-san."

"No problem."

During their conversation, Usami had settled on one of the couches, while Shinobu was still standing next to Miyagi. For some reason, his lover was angrily glaring at Usami, while the novelist seemed to be ignoring everyone around him.

Well, this sure was awkward.

"So, Takahashi-kun, how's lunch coming along?"

At this comment, Shinobu turned his head around so fast that Miyagi was afraid he'd get a whiplash or something.

"I can help you cook!"

Miyagi snorted and rolled his eyes at his little lover.

"Yeah, right."

He turned to Takahashi and added: "Don't let him get close to the food, he's a disaster in the kitchen."

For a moment, he was afraid he'd really screwed up this time. After all, Shinobu was trying his hardest to improve his cooking skills and please him. He breathed a sigh of relief when Shinobu's expression turned into his usual scowl.

"Oi, old man, I never hear you complaining when I do the cooking every day!"

Miyagi smiled and ruffled Shinobu's hair.

"Yes, yes, I know. And I'm actually quite happy about it, Shinobu-chin. It saves me a lot of time."

His smile widened when his lover's face turned bright red. God, he was so adorable.

Suddenly, he remembered they weren't alone. He quickly checked the other men's expressions. Takahashi was looking everywhere but at them, while Usami was staring straight back at Miyagi, with an amused expression on his face and a little smile around his lips.

Crap. He was really starting to lose his focus. Since last weekend, he'd allowed Shinobu to hold his hand in public and when they were in more quiet areas, Miyagi would occasionally steal a little kiss. While he had to admit that it felt great to act a bit more like lovers, he still hadn't managed to get over his fears. Quite the opposite; it seemed there were even more voices in his head now telling him he had to be on guard, and he'd woken up more than once from a nightmare in which he'd lost everything: his job, his position and, even worse, Shinobu.

He hadn't told his lover about this, of course. There was no point in making him upset over something like that. But those nightmares made him reconsider his choice to act more lovey dovey with Shinobu, made him wonder what he was going to do if he would really lose him…

"So erm, Takatsuki-kun…? Would you still like to help making lunch? 'Cause I could use some help, and I could also learn you some things if you want…"

Miyagi smiled. Of course it would be Takahashi who broke the silence. It wasn't hard to figure out that he was the kind of person who wanted everyone to be happy. Miyagi really hoped the two younger men would get along, because Takahashi would definitely be a great friend for Shinobu.

Therefore, he was happy when his lover followed Takahashi into the kitchen, until he realized that that meant he was left to talk to Usami.

Great.

* * *

That stupid Hiroki! Akihiko had eventually persuaded him into coming over, and now that idiot texted him to tell him that he and his boyfriend would be late, which meant he would still have to make small talk with a man he didn't know.

On the bright side, things had gotten a bit more interesting just now. When it came to Misaki and Akihiko, Misaki would be the one to shy away from any public displays of affection, but with this couple, it seemed like it was the older man who didn't know what to do with himself. Miyagi had caught him looking and Akihiko was pretty sure that for a moment, the man had had a faint blush on his cheeks. He couldn't help but smile a little. Maybe it would turn out to be a nice afternoon, after all.

Miyagi awkwardly sat down on the couch across the one Akihiko had settled on.

"So, erm…"

Akihiko half expected him to say something like: "I really love your books!" or another one of those insignificant comments his fans usually made, but thankfully, the man took another direction.

"I don't think I've introduced myself yet. My name is Miyagi Yo, and the guy over there is Takatsuki Shinobu."

"Your lover."

He smirked inwardly when he saw the other man cringe a little. Just as he'd thought, he was almost as awkward as Misaki. It would be fun to tease him a little.

"Ah-yes."

Well, at least he admitted it. Not that there was any use in trying to hide it.

"And you're living together."

Miyagi's eyes widened and Akihiko really had to try not to laugh about this reaction. He and his little boyfriend had just talked about how the guy would cook for Miyagi every day. It wasn't that hard to figure out.

"Yes, that's true."

Then, to Akihiko's surprised, he added: "We used to live next to each other, so we would go to each other's apartments all the time. Shinobu complained that he always had to come over to me and that I never came to him, so I asked him to move in with me."

"I see."

So it really was Takatsuki who took the initiative in their relationship. 'Maybe it isn't so bad that Misaki has found these new 'acquaintances' ', Akihiko thought, while taking a cigarette out of a packet that was lying nearby. His lover could definitely learn a thing or two from that kid.

He offered Miyagi a cigarette, who accepted it. While they were both silently smoking for a moment, Akihiko looked at Misaki, who seemed to be teaching Takatsuki some sort of cooking method. Instead of filling him with jealousy, like it usually would, the sight made him smile. After all, Takatsuki was taken, and his lover was sitting right here. Plus Misaki looked more relaxed than Akiko had seen him in a while. Ever since Takahiro had started talking about his younger brother moving out of the apartment and finding a place of his own, Misaki had been struggling with his feelings. He hadn't told Akihiko with so many words, but the man knew his lover very well. Misaki felt bad for keeping things from his brother, but he was also afraid of his reaction. The fear and the guilt were probably taking its toll. Therefore, Akihiko was really happy to see him like this. Maybe having a friend who was more or less in the same boat would make Misaki feel better.

As if he could feel Akihiko's gaze, Misaki suddenly looked up. His happy expression turned into a frown.

"Usagi-san, please cut back on the smoking! You've already had two cigarettes today, don't you think it's a bit too much?"

Akihiko smiled. He was so adorable when he worried about him like that. It was a shame they had guests, otherwise he would have picked Misaki up and carried him upstairs, where that new shirt – which really suited him, by the way – would be lying on the ground within seconds.

"Don't worry about it, I'll stop after this one, okay?"

"Yeah right, you say that every time. Baka-Usagi."

His smile grew wider. Yep. Totally adorable.

"Usagi?"

Miyagi's surprised voice brought him back to earth. He turned to the other man.

"Ah, yes, his brother gave me that nickname. Misaki has adopted it."

"So…Is that how you met? Through his brother?"

A bit surprised that Miyagi was asking a question on a more personal level, Akihiko blew out some smoke and nodded.

"Yes, his brother Takahiro is my best friend. He asked me to tutor Misaki to prepare him for his final exams. When Takahiro married and moved away for his work, Misaki came living here as a freeloader. In return, he does all the chores around the house for me."

"Ah, I see."

It was silent again, until Akihiko decided to backfire the question. He had to admit, he was getting a little curious about this man's relationship with Takatsuki as well. After all, they were an even more unusual couple than Misaki and he were.

"So how about you and that kid? You're not really a regular couple either. Did you meet because you were neighbors?"

Miyagi laughed uncomfortably, which only made Akihiko more curious. This was going to be an interesting story, he could feel that.

"Well, no…We weren't neighbors when we met. Actually, I kind of saved him from some guys who wanted to take his money…And later, when we met again, Shinobu declared his love for me out of the blue…and told me to take responsibility."

Akihiko felt his eyes widen and before he could stop himself, he burst out laughing.

"That's brilliant! I would have liked to see your face at that moment."

The stunned expression on Miyagi's face slowly faded away and was replaced by a slightly amused one.

"Well, I'm wondering what I must have looked like as well…I was really shocked. Especially since…"

He suddenly cut himself off, looking all serious again. 'There it is', Akihiko thought. The most interesting part had yet to come. So he decided to prod a little.

"Since…?"

Miyagi hesitated for a moment.

"Well, you see…I was married to a woman before."

This made Akihiko raise his eyebrows. Okay, he did _not_ expect that. Miyagi seemed to be contemplating something before adding:

"To his sister, actually."

* * *

**I'm sorry about the cliff-hanger, but this really was the best place to split up the chapter. Next time, you'll get to see how Misaki and Shinobu are doing in the kitchen, and Hiroki and Nowaki will be joining the party! :D Please let me know what you think, and I'll see you next time!**


	6. Universities and unexpected guests

**A/N: Hi there! I'm back again with a new chapter :D I'm so happy you enjoyed the last one! Thank you so much for all your reviews/follows/favorites! I opened my email last Monday morning before I went to school, and I was incredibly happy when I saw your responses. Every time I was feeling a bit down ('cause, you know, Monday and school isn't the best combination xD), I just thought about all the reviews and I was happy again :D**

**A few notes for this chapter:**

**I'm not sure if Shinobu studies at Teito University, but the manga said T. University and since Akihiko studied at Teito and both of them chose law, I presume it's the same. Please tell me if I'm mistaken. **

**I hope Shinobu isn't too OOC. I figured he would act different around friends than he acts around Miyagi, and since he's decided to give Misaki a chance, he's trying to be nice to him. :)**

**Also, I went with the manga on the Hiroki/Misaki thing. For the ones who haven't read the manga: in Egoist act 15, Hiroki and Nowaki meet Akihiko on the street, who is waiting for Misaki. Misaki is shocked when he sees 'Kamijou sensei' and runs away. Hiroki asks Akihiko about him, since he recognizes Misaki as a student, and Akihiko tells him he's a lodger. When Akihiko's gone, Hiroki tells Nowaki that he's really happy for his friend that there's someone who can live with him. **

**Then in Romantica act 26.5, Akihiko tells Misaki that he and Hiroki have an 'unusual relationship', which worries Misaki. Akihiko then says he will tell him if Misaki kisses him. Misaki agrees, but he makes Suzuki-san (the bear) kiss Akihiko xD So in the end, Misaki still doesn't know much about Akihiko and Hiroki. **

**This author's note is getting way too long (as usual), so I'll shut up now. I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Junjou Romantica.**

* * *

Shinobu had to admit, he was enjoying himself.

Takahashi was an incredibly good cook, and he knew all kinds of tricks to make things taste just a little better or just a little easier to prepare. On top of that, he was super patient. And it turned out he was also nice to talk to.

"So, which university do you go to, Takatsuki-kun?" Takahashi asked, while stirring in one of the pans on the stove.

"Teito University. How about you?"

"I'm studying economics at Mitsuhashi University. What do you study, Takatsuki-kun?"

'Mitsuhashi, huh?' Shinobu thought while cutting some vegetables. Takahashi had given him the more easy tasks to do. It wasn't in Shinobu's nature to settle for something easy while he hadn't even tried the more difficult things, but he had to admit that Takahashi was the cook here. So for now, he'd just do the task given to him.

"I study law at school and literature in private."

Takahashi looked up, a surprised expression on his face.

"Really? That's pretty amazing! I would never be able to do two studies at the same time."

"Ah, well, Miyagi helps me out sometimes. He's a literature professor at Mitsuhashi."

Takahashi's eyes widened even more.

"Seriously?! I've never seen him before! Ah, but I had another literature professor…"

His face turned a little dark for a second, and he also looked a little…scared? Shinobu wondered what that was about.

Takahashi seemed to realize he'd suddenly become quiet and he quickly spoke up again.

"Ah, you see, he was horrible. He'd always throw books and other things at his students…"

Throw books…Somehow, that sounded familiar…

"…So that's why we always called him 'Kamijou the devil'."

Shinobu's eyes widened. Of course! He was talking about that stupid professor that Miyagi always was all over. He felt his mood turn sour.

"Takatsuki-kun? Are you okay?"

He focused his attention back on Takahashi.

"Yes, I'm okay."

He hesitated for a moment. There was no harm in telling Takahashi about it, was there? After all, this guy seemed to have a strong dislike for Kamijou as well.

"Actually, I know him, since he's Miyagi's colleague. I occasionally drop by Mitsuhashi to visit Miyagi and several times, I've found him in kind of…suspicious situations with Kamijou. Every time, he tells me it's nothing and that they're just friends, but…I still don't like it. Especially not since Miyagi seems to enjoy flirting with him."

Takahashi's worried expression was replaced by a sympathized one.

"Well, I can't say I've got much experience with that…But I don't think Miyagi-san is cheating on you. In fact, I think he l-loves you very much."

Surprised, Shinobu looked up, to be met with Takahashi's bright red face. He had to stop himself from laughing. This guy was pretty awkward, wasn't he? But he was really trying to cheer Shinobu up.

"Thank you, Takahashi-san."

"Ah, erm…you can drop the 'san', you know."

He smiled.

"Takahashi-kun, then."

Trying to get the conversation going again, Shinobu asked:

"Have you ever been to a foreign country before, Takahashi-kun?"

The boy shook his head.

"No…Usag- Usami-san said we'd go to England one day, though. I would love that, but it also makes me nervous…My English is pretty bad."

An idea suddenly popped up in Shinobu's head. He hesitated for a moment. It would definitely mean spending more time with Takahashi, but since arriving here, he'd started to think maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

"I could help you with your English, if you want to. You could see it as payback for you helping me with cooking. I went to school in Australia for a while, so my English is good."

Takahashi's face brightened.

"Really? I'd love that! Wow, Australia, that's super cool!"

For the rest of the time, they chatted about things like Shinobu's time in Australia, school and their families. Occasionally, Shinobu glanced at Miyagi and Usami, who seemed to be getting along as well. His eyes narrowed when he looked at the writer. He seemed okay now, but Shinobu hadn't forgotten the way Usami had looked him up and down when he and Miyagi arrived at the apartment. If there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was people looking down on him.

"Usagi-san, please cut back on the smoking! You've already had two cigarettes today, don't you think it's a bit too much?"

While he followed the conversation between Takahashi and Usami, Shinobu realized the younger boy had a point. Shinobu sometimes worried about Miyagi smoking too much as well. He'd have to remember to talk to him about it when they got home.

When Usami got back to talking with Miyagi, Shinobu and Takahashi picked up their own conversation again. Not too long after that, though, Shinobu heard something that made him stop in his tracks.

"…married to a woman before."

He looked up, stunned. Miyagi wasn't going to tell him, was he?

"To his sister, actually."

Shinobu saw Usami's eyes widen. He looked back to Takahashi, who seemed to have heard it as well. Suddenly, the whole living room was quiet. Miyagi turned his head and noticed Shinobu staring at him.

"Erm…"

Thankfully, Takahashi spoke up.

"W-well…" he started, "erm…actually, we have kind of the same situation…."

"Well, it's not exactly like yours," he added hastily when he saw Miyagi and Shinobu's stunned expressions. "But, well…"

"I was in love with his brother," Usami cut in.

Miyagi looked just as surprised as Shinobu felt.

"Really? Then how…"

Takahashi was nervously playing with his apron. Shinobu understood his feelings painfully well. After all, he still felt sick whenever the subject of his lover having been married to his sister came up.

"Nii-chan…Nii-chan got married."

Shinobu had to try to keep his mouth from falling open. Did that mean…?

As if suddenly realizing how that might sound, Takahashi spoke up again.

"Ah, it's not like I'm re-replacing him or something…ha ha..."

He looked like he wasn't feeling very well and Shinobu felt sorry for him. He wanted to say something, but Usami was faster.

"Of course not. Misaki cried for me when Takahiro told me he was going to marry, and that's when I realized he was the one. We'd gotten to know each other quite well before that, too, since I was tutoring him."

He walked over to his lover and put an arm around him, which resulted in Takahashi's face becoming scarlet. When Usami pressed a kiss to his temple, it looked like his head was going to explode.

"U-usagi-san…"

Shinobu looked up and found that Miyagi was staring at him. That look in his eyes…Shinobu could feel himself becoming almost as red as Takahashi. He wanted nothing more than to walk over to his lover and kiss him, but he didn't know how Miyagi would feel about that. Even though he'd allowed a lot more PDA lately, Shinobu could tell he still wasn't completely comfortable with it.

"Usagi-san, your friend is late."

The comment was obviously meant to change the topic of conversation, but it caught Usami's attention anyway, as well as Miyagi's and Shinobu's.

"Yes, that's right," the novelist said. "I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you. He texted me about half an hour ago that they would be late."

Shinobu and Miyagi shared a look.

"Friend?"

"_They?"_

Shinobu looked at Takahashi, who apparently was surprised as well.

"Usagi-san, you didn't tell me that you invited more than one person! I really hope we'll have enough food…"

Usami smiled and ruffled his lover's hair.

"Relax, it's just one person extra."

Then he turned to the guests.

"I forgot to tell you as well, but since Misaki invited some friends, I figured I would as well. My childhood friend is coming over and he'll be bringing his boyfriend with him."

"Boyfriend?!"

Takahashi spun around at top speed, which made Usami laugh.

"Yes."

Takahashi looked like he was going to say something, but he went back to his cooking instead.

"Baka-Usagi," he mumbled. "Never tells me anything."

Shinobu shared another look with Miyagi. Well, this day was certainly full of surprises. While going back to his task in the kitchen, he wondered what kind of people Usami had invited.

* * *

When the bell rang for the second time that day, Misaki almost ran to the door.

"I'll get it!"

He didn't quite know how to feel after that serious conversation just now. On one side, it had been really awkward, especially since Usagi-san had decided to act all lovey-dovey all of a sudden. But on the other hand, Misaki was really glad to have found someone who was more or less in the same situation as he was. Actually, it sounded like Takatsuki-kun had it even worse.

For now, however, there were other things to focus on. He'd been wondering this whole time who this childhood friend of Usagi-san's was. Since the novelist didn't like to share Misaki with anyone (his words, not Misaki's), he'd never introduced him to any friends. He knew Usagi-san sometimes went out drinking, but he never told Misaki much about it. He never invited anyone to his apartment, and for some reason they'd never bumped into anyone on the streets. Well, expect for that time when...

Misaki's jaw dropped. No way. No way, no way, absolutely no…

He opened the door and was met with a familiar face.

"K-kamijou-sensei!"

His old literature professor looked just as shocked as Misaki felt. He quickly recovered, however, and his expression turned back into his usual scowl.

"So you're still living here, huh?"

"Ah-yes…"

Kamijou shook his head disbelievingly.

"It's a mystery to me how you endure living with that Bakahiko."

"Erm, well…that is…"

"Hiro-san, don't be rude."

For the first time, Misaki noticed the person standing behind Kamijou-sensei. He was incredibly tall, with dark hair and a kind face. When he noticed Misaki looking, he smiled and took a step forward.

"I'm Kusama Nowaki, it's nice to meet you."

Misaki was just about to answer when a thought struck him.

Wait, _Hiro-san?!_

"…_he'll be bringing his boyfriend with him."_

When he remembered what Usagi-san had said earlier, his jaw almost dropped.

Kamijou-sensei had a _boyfriend_?! And it was this super nice looking guy?! Well, no wonder, you probably had to be an angel to be able to handle Kamijou the devil.

Suddenly, he remembered that he still had to reply.

"Ah, I'm sorry…I'm Takahashi Misaki, it's nice to meet you."

He took a step back.

"Please come in, lunch is almost ready."

* * *

As he followed Hiro-san into the apartment, Nowaki couldn't help but be impressed. He'd never lived in luxury, and this apartment was definitely expensive, not to mention unnecessarily spacious. However, this was not the only reason he was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable. Before coming here, he had mentally prepared himself to face Usami again. But he would never have thought that that annoying professor Miyagi would be here too.

"Kamijou! What are you doing here?"

The professor himself seemed to be surprised as well. He stood up from the couch and walked over to Hiro-san to pull him into a hug. Nowaki had to try his hardest not to attack him. He knew Hiro-san wouldn't like that, especially not since they were in the apartment of his childhood friend. Still…that Miyagi would better not try to pull too many stunts, or he'd definitely regret it.

"P-professor Miyagi! I could ask you the same thing…And could you _please_ let me go?!"

Hiro-san struggled under Miyagi's grip and the older man released him.

"Ah, you're no fun, Hiroki."

"Stop calling me that!"

Nowaki felt someone staring at him. He looked around and found Usami looking right back at him, a surprised and amused expression on his face. This only made him feel more aggravated, but he tried his best not to let it show. Instead, he put on a fake smile and walked towards his lover and his professor.

"Miyagi-san, long time no see."

He knew he should actually greet Usami first, since he was the host, but there was no way he'd let that professor touch his Hiro-san again.

"Ah-Kusama-kun, wasn't it? Good to see you two are still together."

Nowaki felt his eyes widen. He really didn't know what to make of this man. One moment he was all over Hiro-san and now he was talking about their relationship? He studied the older man's face for a moment, which looked genuinely interested. Nowaki hadn't forgotten how he'd once tried to kiss Hiro-san, though.

"W-what are you saying, professor? Ha ha…"

Hiro-san's cheeks started to become pink, which made him look even cuter than usual. Nowaki had to stop himself from kissing him. Instead, he simply took his hand.

"Yes, we're still very happy, thank you."

His lover's face turned completely red now.

"You brat! What do you think you're doing?!"

He noticed how Hiro-san's eyes shot nervously back and forth between him and the kitchen. Nowaki followed his gaze and saw Takahashi standing there, together with another boy around his age. While Takahashi looked downright shocked, the other was obviously very pissed. He wondered what that was about.

"Relax, Hiroki. We're all couples here," Usami's low voice suddenly cut in.

Hiro-san looked as surprised as Nowaki felt.

"W-what? So you and that brat…?"

Usami walked towards the kitchen, took Takahashi's arm and pulled him towards the living room.

"O-oi! Usagi-san!"

"Hiroki, let me introduce you. This is Takahashi Misaki, my lover."

The boy's eyes widened and he seemed to shrink under the glare Hiro-san was giving him. He was obviously very uncomfortable with the whole situation and Nowaki felt sorry for him.

"Hiro-san…" he whispered.

His lover stopped staring at the boy, instead moving his gaze to Usami.

"You've got to be kidding me," he mumbled.

Suddenly, Usami's eyes lit up and he smirked.

"Want me to prove it?"

Without waiting for an answer, he turned to Takahashi, took his chin in one hand and put his other hand on his waist, and kissed him full on the lips.

* * *

Misaki's eyes widened the moment he felt Usagi-san's lips on his. They were soft, yet firm, and slightly chilly, which sent shivers down Misaki's spine. He felt himself getting swept away. That happened more and more lately, and he had yet to decide whether that was a good or a bad thing.

Right now, however, it was definitely a bad thing.

He was just about to push Usagi-san away when the novelist took a step back. Misaki looked at the floor while trying to catch his breath and decide on how the hell he was going to face their guests now. When he'd finally gathered enough courage to look up, he found that everyone was staring at him. Great. He felt his face heat up even more. To avoid the stares, he turned his head towards Usagi-san, only to be met with a smug smile.

"Enough proof, Hiroki?" Usagi-san asked, without taking his eyes off of him.

That bastard. Misaki wanted to yell at him, but for some reason, his voice didn't work the way he wanted it too. He tried looking at the others again. Kamijou-sensei was staring at him, his glare replaced by a stunned expression, while Kusama-san caught Misaki's gaze and smiled softly at him. They were so different that Misaki had a hard time imagining them as a couple, even though the proof was right before his eyes, since Kusama-san was still holding Kamijou-sensei's hand.

Miyagi-san didn't seem very affected by the whole situation, but then, he'd already known that Usagi-san and he were dating. Plus, Misaki had found him and Takatsuki in a much more heated making out session…his cheeks became warm when he thought about it. He shifted his gaze to Takatsuki, who was sending Kamijou-sensei murderous looks. Misaki figured that had to be because of Miyagi-san flirting with him…Although it was a mystery to him as to why someone would want to flirt with that devil.

The whole atmosphere was starting to become super uncomfortable, and Misaki was glad when Usagi-san spoke up again.

"So, how about lunch, Misaki?"

"Ah-yes! I'm on it!"

He almost ran to the kitchen, were he quickly gave Takatsuki some instructions. While the other guests went to sit at the table, Misaki finally let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding. This was definitely more stressful than he thought it would be. He turned his attention to Takatsuki.

"Are you okay? I mean…with Kamijou-sensei showing up and all?"

Takatsuki looked up, face expressionless.

"I think I can better ask if _you_ are okay. For a moment, I thought your head was going to explode."

Misaki stared at him, cheeks becoming rosy again. God, why did he have to blush so easily? Now Takatsuki thought he was a complete loser.

Suddenly, the other boy burst out laughing.

"Geez, I was only kidding you! No need to look so worried."

Misaki looked at him, surprised, and then hesitantly smiled.

"But thanks for asking. I'm not really happy with that Kamijou showing up, but at least I'm here to keep an eye on them," Takatsuki continued in a more serious voice.

Misaki thought of the moment when Miyagi-san had hugged Kamijou-sensei.

"Well, I don't think Kamijou-sensei liked it when Miyagi-san attacked him. He looked kind of pissed. So did Kusama-san, by the way."

"Hmm…you might be right."

Takatsuki looked at the dining table and Misaki followed his gaze. Usagi-san and Miyagi-san seemed to be teasing Kamijou-sensei, while Kusama-san was watching them. At least the awkward atmosphere seemed to be gone. For now, that was.

Regarding everything that had already happened, he wondered if he would survive this lunch.

* * *

**So, yeah…the lunch still isn't over! I hope you don't mind it's taking so long…I feel like there's so much that has to be included in their first meeting, and there are so many different point of views to write in…the next chapter should be the last lunch chapter, though, in which they're actually going to have lunch…xD That should be interesting…I think Miyagi and Akihiko are going to have a lot of fun teasing poor Hiroki ;D**

**Please let me know what you think! I love you guys! See you next time! :D**


	7. Brothers, bosses and BL-novels

**A/N: Hello again! 50 follows! I'm so happy right now! Thank you all so very much! The fact that people are reading and enjoying this means a lot to me :D**

**Here's the chapter that may or may not be the last lunch chapter (please take a look at the A/N at the end of this chapter for more information ;P). I had lots of fun writing this, as usual, and I hope you'll enjoy it as well. Please let me know what you think! **

**Also, I've got a little favor to ask. My best friend has posted a story on FictionPress, but finds it hard to get readers. I've read the first chapter and I know a lot about the plot line, and it really looks like it's going to be an awesome story. So if you've got some time, could you please give her story a try? It might seem a little vague in the beginning (she said so herself) but the genres aren't 'romance' and 'mystery' for nothing. ;P The story is called "The dream catcher" and her username is "Fleur99". You can also find it on our shared Wattpad account, where we write under the name "Theladydrummer". Thanks a lot!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Junjou Romantica.**

* * *

The silence was starting to become uncomfortable.

From the moment Akihiko had invited him, Hiroki had been having a bad feeling about it, but he had never expected the lunch appointment to turn out this way. Now he had to sit at a table with _two _people his lover disliked – as if putting Nowaki together with Akihiko in one room wasn't enough, professor Miyagi just had to be there too. Now that he thought about it, why exactly was he here? Hiroki didn't feel like being the one to break the silence, but he had to admit he was kind of curious.

"So, professor…why exactly are you here?"

Miyagi looked up from his plate and shot him one of his carefree smiles.

"Well, to be able to see you of course, Hiro – ouch."

Miyagi's smile had disappeared and he shot Takatsuki, who was sitting next to him, a slightly offended look.

"What was that for?!"

Takatsuki said nothing, instead just glared at the older man. Hiroki snorted at the interaction. This brat was quite possessive, wasn't he? It kind of reminded him of…

He turned his head to look at his own lover, who was sitting on his right. Nowaki was looking at the couple as well, smiling lightly, but Hiroki could see in his eyes that something was off. He was quite sure that Nowaki had never really forgiven Miyagi for that time he'd almost kissed him – Hiroki tried not to think too much about it, it was certainly one of the weirdest things that had ever happened to him – but there was no reason for him to be jealous right now, was there? Especially since the professor had his lover with him. Hiroki had complained plenty of times to Nowaki about how he would often come into his office to find the two of them in some sort of suspicious position, so he should know by now that there was no way Miyagi was seriously hitting on him. Unless…He shot another look at Nowaki, who was now staring at his food again. Unless he didn't realize who Takatsuki was.

"You know, professor Miyagi, you haven't introduced us to your…err…friend."

Miyagi turned his attention to him again, looking surprised.

"Ah - of course. Well, you know him already, Kamijou," he looked slightly embarrassed while saying this, "so, Kusama-kun, this is Takatsuki Shinobu…"

He trailed off, but when Takatsuki sent him another glare, he added: "…my lover."

Hiroki saw Nowaki's eyes widen. So he really hadn't realized it yet.

"I told you already, didn't I?"

His lover turned to him and nodded, still looking surprised.

"Yes, I know, but I didn't expect…"

He stopped and gave the couple across him an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry. Hiro-san already told me, but…I guess seeing you together somehow makes it different."

Miyagi started to look uncomfortable, while Takatsuki just wore his usual scowl. Hiroki wondered if the kid really didn't care or if it was just a facade. After all, he was quite familiar with putting on a mask himself.

"Ha ha, well, it's quite a huge age gap indeed," Miyagi said while nervously laughing at Nowaki.

"Not to mention he's the dean's son," Hiroki mumbled.

The whole group fell silent and Hiroki suddenly realized he'd said that out loud. _O crap._ He carefully avoided looking professor Miyagi in the eyes.

For the first time since they'd started eating, Akihiko spoke up.

"So he's your ex-brother in law, seventeen years younger _and_ your boss's son?"

Next to him, Hiroki noticed Nowaki's mouth falling open. Akihiko, on the other hand, looked like he'd just won the lottery. His eyes were shining and he had a smug smile on his face.

"Interesting," he mumbled, while looking back and forth between Miyagi and Takatsuki.

_Uh-oh._ Hiroki knew that look, and it was never good news. Apparently he wasn't the only one who thought so, because Takahashi piped in.

"Usagi-san, what are you thinking about?"

_Usagi-san?_

Akihiko turned to him, smiled and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Nothing for you to worry about. In fact, I think you'd like it."

"For some reason, that's making me even more worried."

The novelist raised an eyebrow in an attempt to look quasi-offended.

"When have I ever done something you didn't like?"

"I don't even know where to start! You do all those things to me, and you use me in your novels, and…"

Takahashi suddenly seemed to realize they weren't alone, because he cut himself off and became bright red. Hiroki heard Takatsuki snicker softly on the other side of the table, and he noticed Nowaki was smiling as well. As if feeling his gaze, his lover turned his head and looked straight into Hiroki's eyes.

"W-what?" he asked when Nowaki held his gaze. The man smiled at him and replied: "His reluctance just reminds me of someone."

Hiroki wanted to ask who that person might be, when it hit him. _O_. Nowaki was talking about _him._ He felt his cheeks grow hot and desperately tried to calm down. He was not going to blush in front of these people, no way would he ever…

"Aw, are you blushing, Ka-mi-jou?"

Damn that Miyagi and his singsong voice. In an attempt to avoid both Miyagi's and Nowaki's eyes, his gaze landed on Akihiko, which wasn't any better. His childhood friend was wearing his familiar smirk, and before he even opened his mouth, Hiroki knew he was in for a teasing comment.

"You know, if you need some privacy, you could just ask. You can use Misaki's room, if you want to."

"Oi!" Takahashi protested, at the same moment that Hiroki yelled: "What are you – we don't need a room!"

Akihiko rose one eyebrow.

"Well, it certainly looked like it. And why do you care, Misaki? It's not like you ever actually use your room."

"That's – that's not true!" Takahashi sputtered, but it was obvious from his blazing cheeks that he was lying. Hiroki had never really liked the guy - he obviously had no interest in or talent for literature – but he was starting to change his opinion of him. Takahashi managed to life with Akihiko, after all, which was quite impressive. On top of that, he had to admit he could relate to him at the moment.

It would be best for both of them if the topic were changed, so Hiroki decided to do just that.

"Professor Miyagi, you still haven't told me how you know Akihiko and Takahashi-kun."

"Smooth change of subject, Hiroki," Akihiko said smugly.

Hiroki shot him a glare and turned to Miyagi, who put down his chopsticks and said: "Well, I was shopping with Shinobu-chi…Shinobu last weekend and we bumped into Misaki. Later that day we met again and he invited us over for lunch. So actually we don't really know each other."

Hiroki raised his eyebrows, and he saw Akihiko doing the same. Something was definitely off with this story. You didn't just ask strangers over for lunch, even Takahashi wouldn't do that. He shared a look with Akihiko and was just about to open his mouth when Takatsuki spoke up.

"As if they're going to believe it when you tell it like that."

He rolled his eyes at his older lover and then turned to Hiroki.

"Actually, we were kissing when Takahashi-kun saw us the second time."

Miyagi made a strange sound and looked like he wanted to sink into the ground. _No wonder_, Hiroki thought. With a relationship like they had, kissing out in the open wasn't the best idea.

"Isn't that illegal or something?" he asked.

Akihiko snickered.

"Isn't their whole relationship illegal?"

The comment earned him a death glare from Takatsuki, but the novelist didn't seem to care.

"By the way, Hiroki, I meant to ask this before: I take it Miyagi-san is that professor you're always complaining about?"

"Huh?" Miyagi looked at Akihiko questioningly, then moved his gaze to Hiroki. Before he could ask anything, though, Akihiko continued.

"I like to get Hiroki drunk occasionally. He certainly talks a lot more with some alcohol in his body."

Miyagi's slightly offended expression changed into an amused one.

"Yes, I know. We go out for drinks every now and then. He has a lot of interesting things to tell when he's drunk," he turned towards Nowaki, "especially about you, Kusama-san."

Hiroki was pretty sure his face was beet red by now.

"Oi, professor – "

He was cut off by Akihiko, who was really smirking now.

"Oh, so he tells you those things as well? Maybe we could have a conversation some time, to fill in the gaps. That would be very useful for my work as well."

"Work?" Miyagi and Nowaki asked at the same time.

Hiroki knew what was coming and attempted to stop him, only to be cut off again.

"Akihiko I swear – "

"Have you ever heard about the Junai Egoist series?"

_That bastard._

Miyagi frowned.

"I don't think so…" he hesitantly said.

To everyone's surprise, Takatsuki spoke up.

"They're BL novels."

Miyagi raised an eyebrow at his younger lover.

"And you know this because…?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders.

"Some girls at my university read them."

The professor looked at him a little longer and then focused on Akihiko again.

"Alright, what about them?"

Akihiko smirked.

"Well, I'm the author. And I like to get my inspiration from people I know. For example, there's another series called Junai Romantica, which is inspired by Misaki."

Everyone's attention was now focused on Takahashi, who's cheeks were on fire again.

"Usagi-san!"

The small protest only earned him a chuckle from the novelist.

"And Junai Egoist is, of course, inspired by Hiroki and Kusama-kun."

Miyagi's eyes widened, as did Takahashi's. Hiroki didn't dare to look at Nowaki to see his reaction, but he could imagine him being the most surprised of all.

"Hiro-san…Did you know?"

Forcing himself to look up, he was met with his lover's wide eyes. As always, those blue orbs clearly displayed his emotions, and right now, they showed his surprise as well as some…sadness? Disappointment? Hiroki wasn't too sure about it. In an attempt to push away the wave of guilt that suddenly came over him, he averted his eyes and shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, yeah. B-but it's not like I could do anything about it! I've complained plenty of times, but 'The Great Novelist' over there just does as he pleases."

He shot his childhood friend a nasty look. Not that it threw Akihiko off. Instead, he just smiled back at the both of them.

"Well, please forgive me, Kusama-kun. It would be a shame to stop the series; you two are really popular, you know."

Nowaki looked like he was about to say something to Akihiko, but then turned back to Hiroki.

"It's not Hiro-san's fault," he whispered, as if sensing his distress. A warm hand slid over Hiroki's and gave it a little squeeze. He wanted to scold Nowaki for doing such a thing when they had company, but the touch was comforting and immediately made him feel better, so he decided to let it slide this time.

That was, until Akihiko had to but in again.

"You know, that room offer still stands."

Hiroki felt his temper flare up, but before he could give that Bakahiko a piece of mind, the novelist continued.

"How about we take this conversation to the living room? I'm sure there are a lot more interesting things we could discuss, and it would be more comfortable to do so on the couch."

_Damn it._ Hiroki gritted his teeth. This day sure was getting worse and worse.

* * *

Nowaki could tell his lover wasn't really happy right now. Not that he was doing any better. To be honest, the constant stream of teasing comments that Usami and Miyagi threw at Hiro-san made him more jealous than he'd like to admit. It made him all the more aware of the fact how well the two men knew Hiro-san. _His_ Hiro-san, the one _he_ was supposed to know best.

While he followed his lover to the couches, he took a look at the two youngest men. He hadn't heard either of them talking very much and he wondered if they were also feeling uncomfortable. After all, Usami, Miyagi and Hiro-san knew each other very well, but Takahashi and Takatsuki were just like him. Plus Takahashi apparently was an ex-student of Hiro-san…Regarding what he'd heard about his lover's teaching methods, he could understand the boy's anxiety. Also, he seemed to have a timid character in general.

Takatsuki-kun, on the other hand, didn't seem very shy. Nowaki looked at him from the corner of his eyes. The boy was just about to sit down next to Miyagi, who in turn was seated next to Usami, when he caught Nowaki looking. Takatsuki held his gaze for a moment, then huffed and averted his eyes.

Nowaki sat down next to Hiro-san on the other couch, and to his surprise they were joined by Takahashi. The boy looked nervous for some reason, looking down and twiddling his fingers.

"Erm…It's not a bother if I sit here, is it?"

Nowaki blinked in surprise.

"No, of course not, Takahashi-kun. But…don't you want to sit…"

…_with Usami-san,_ he wanted to say, but cut himself off. There had to be a reason for Takahashi to sit next to him. He probably just found it awkward. When Usami had kissed him before, the poor guy had turned as red as a tomato, which had reminded Nowaki of his Hiro-san, who also seemed to have a hard time becoming comfortable with such gestures.

"So, Takahashi, may I ask what kind of studies you're doing?"

Visibly glad with this safe topic, the boy gave him a bright smile.

"I study economics at Mitsuhashi," he answered, and then asked: "What kind of work do you do, Kusama-san?"

"He's a pediatrician," Usami answered, much to Nowaki's irritation. Hadn't that man ever heard of manners? And how did he know that, anyway? Hiro-san must have told him on ones of those occasions Usami had talked about earlier. The thought only made him angrier, but instead of showing it, he just nodded and smiled at Takahashi.

"Yes, that's true. Although originally, I wanted to go to a university for social work. That's why I asked Hiro-san to tutor me."

Takahashi's eyes widened a little.

"Ah – So you also met that way…"

Nowaki looked at him questioningly, waiting for an explanation. The boy's cheeks became a little pink.

"Well, you see, Usag- Usami-san tutored me as well…My brother asked him to."

He shifted around uncomfortably and his eyes nervously shot to the other couch, which made Nowaki suspect there was more to the story. It seemed he wasn't the only one, because Hiro-san suddenly joined the conversation.

"Your brother?"

His lover looked back and forth between Takahashi and Usami, and there was something in his eyes Nowaki couldn't quite place.

Usami's face was unreadable as always, but the sigh he let out indicated that he also wasn't completely comfortable with this conversation.

"Yes, his brother is another good childhood friend of mine. You know him too, Hiroki. His name is Takahashi Takahiro."

To Nowaki's surprise, Hiro-san stiffened completely. His eyes were wide open and it looked like a thousand different emotions were fighting for dominance.

"T-Takahiro is his brother?!"

Takahashi-kun looked stunned.

"You know my brother, Kamijou-sensei?"

Hiro-san ignored Takahashi's question. With a few steps, he was standing right in front of Usami. Then, to everyone's surprise, he slapped him.

The silence that followed was unbearable, and Nowaki jumped up and made towards his lover.

"Hiro-san!"

He put his arms around him to pull him away from the novelist, and noticed the man was shaking badly.

"Hiro-san, are you okay?"

Takahashi had jumped up as well and was giving Usami a concerned look, while Miyagi and Takatsuki were both watching the scene with stunned expressions on their faces.

Nowaki turned his attention back to his trembling lover, only to find that he was crying. Tears flooded from his eyes and fell down his cheeks and chin. It reminded Nowaki of the first time they met in that park. After all, he didn't see Hiro-san cry very often.

_The first time they met…_

At that time, Hiro-san had his heart broken by Usami, but up until this day, Nowaki didn't know what had happened. He was pretty sure it had been an unrequited love from Hiro-san's side, and he was also quite certain that Usami had never known about it. Still, he'd always had the feeling that there was something more to it.

"Hiroki."

Usami's voice broke the silence. He gently pushed a worried Takahashi aside, after softly stroking the boy's cheek, and took a few steps towards Hiroki.

"I understand what you're thinking, but it's not like that. Yes, I was in love with Takahiro, but I'd always known it wasn't going anywhere. Then I got to know Misaki…And when Takahiro got married, he cried for me. He'd only known me for a little while, but he saw straight through me. That's when I knew he was the one. I can assure you that I have no feelings left for Takahiro but friendship. I love Misaki with all my heart and I'll never love anyone else in my life."

_Usami used to be in love with Takahashi's brother?_

Could that have been the reason...? Well, he could think about that later. Now was definitely not the time. He felt how Hiro-san took a deep breath, but his lover didn't seem to have any intentions of turning around to face Usami. A sudden realization dawned on him.

Hiro-san didn't want anyone else to see him cry.

"I'm sorry about that, Usami-san," Nowaki said without taking his eyes off his lover. Then he added: "I'll be taking Hiro-san outside for a bit, if you don't mind."

* * *

Hiroki desperately tried to stop the tears from falling, but found himself unable to. _That stupid Akihiko!_ He'd been in love with him for such a long time, but that baka had always held onto the thought of his precious Takahiro. And now this brat came along and Akihiko could suddenly forget all about him? What had he done wrong? Were years of loyal friendship not enough? Was _he_ not enough?

"Hiro-san…"

He looked up into Nowaki's eyes. Those beautiful, blue eyes, so very different from Akihiko's. Waves of guilt came crashing over him. Who was he to talk, anyway? Here he was, wondering why he'd never been enough for Akihiko, while this amazing man had told him over and over again how much he loved him.

Hiroki probably was the real baka here.

He loved Nowaki, he really did. And deep inside his heart, he knew he loved him more than he'd ever loved Akihiko. That's why he'd never expected that Takahiro's name would bring back so many old feelings. Maybe it was because he'd never talked to Akihiko about it. After all, his childhood friend didn't even know that he had been in love with him.

"Hiro-san…"

Two strong arms were wrapped around him and he was surrounded by Nowaki's scent. Nowaki…he'd never told him either, because he was afraid his dislike for Akihiko would only grow stronger if he knew that Hiroki and Akihiko had actually _done_ it. But maybe it was time he told him. He deserved to know, after all.

But not now. This was not the place to have such a conversation. Plus he already felt bad for ruining the day.

"I'm okay…thank you," he added after a slight hesitation. Nowaki didn't answer, instead just pulled him closer. They were standing outside the apartment building where Akihiko lived, and Hiroki was grateful that there weren't many people out on the streets at the moment.

"Nowaki…we're in public, you baka."

His words lacked their usual strength, though, and Nowaki moved his head to look at him, concern evident in his eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay, Hiro-san?"

At first he was just going to repeat his earlier words, but he knew he couldn't fool Nowaki. So he decided to be honest with him. It was the least he could do, after all.

"No, not really."

At Nowaki's stunned expression, he let out a sigh and averted his eyes.

"Look, I can't ruin everyone's fun, okay? Not any more than I've already done, anyway. But…"

He hesitated and dared to look into his lover's eyes for a moment, before shifting his gaze again.

"I promise to talk to you when we get home, okay? You deserve to know."

Out of the corners of his eyes, he saw a bit of Nowaki's usual happy expression coming back. His eyes were less worried and a little smile started to form on his face. It made Hiroki feel better as well.

"That's…Thank you, Hiro-san. But you know you don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I-"

"It's fine, like I said, you deserve to know the truth," Hiroki interrupted. "But let's go back inside now, before they start to get weird ideas."

Nowaki's smile grew and his eyes started to twinkle.

"Weird ideas…?"

Hiroki narrowed his eyes.

"Don't start getting cocky again now, brat. Jeez, I give you an inch and you take a mile."

"Yes, Hiro-san."

Only two seconds after Nowaki said that, Hiroki felt a familiar pair of soft lips on his own. The contact made him nervous and calmed him down at the same time.

"…What did I just tell you?"

"I know. I'm sorry, Hiro-san."

The huge smile on his face said otherwise, and Hiroki wanted to get mad at him, but he had to admit he was happy to see Nowaki smile again. His expression turned worried once more, though, when they got back to Akihiko's apartment.

"Are you sure you're okay with going back there…"

…_while he is there?_ Hiroki could feel the unspoken part of the question hanging in the air. Truthfully, it would be embarrassing to face Akihiko right now, but other than that, he was pretty sure he would be okay. He was eternally grateful to Nowaki for taking him outside. Not only had it prevented Akihiko (and the others as well) from seeing his tears and asking him about it, the moment he'd just spent alone with Nowaki had also allowed him to come back to his senses and had made him realize once again that he didn't love Akihiko anymore. Nowaki was the one who filled his heart and mind, who he wanted to be with as much as he could, who he wanted to spent the rest of his life with. Thinking back on Akihiko's words about Takahashi, Hiroki knew the same counted for him: he loved Nowaki, and he wouldn't love anyone else in his life.

"I'll be fine," he answered honestly, and he moved his hand to push the doorbell. Before he did so, though, he turned around and sent his lover an uncharacteristically soft smile.

"…Thank you."

The smile he got in return made his heart speed up.

"You're welcome, Hiro-san."

* * *

**Wow, this became much heavier than I expected when I started writing this…As usual, things turned out a little differently than I thought they would. Now I was wondering: I've still got one scene for the lunch appointment in mind, should I write it or should I skip to another day? It probably wouldn't take the whole chapter (I'm pretty sure it wouldn't, but I don't trust myself anymore…my stories lead lives of their own…xD), so I could make a combination of the two. I really enjoy writing the 'lunch appointment chapters', and I feel like there's more to be told since the whole Takahiro/Akihiko/Hiroki drama came up (which I didn't know was going to happen xD), but I don't want the whole thing to become too long…So I'd be really happy if you let me know what you think :)**

**A lot of Hiroki POV, and not as many switches as usual, but I thought it worked for this chapter. :)**

**Also, I'm not sure when the next update is going to be, since I've got an exam period coming up (next week…) :/ Not looking forward to that…But I ordered Sekaiichi Hatsukoi volumes 1-6, and they should arrive around that time as well, so that's my light in the darkness ;P Anyway, I'll try to update, but please forgive me if it takes a little longer than usual…school's really important to me. (*cough* nerd *cough* ;D)**

**As always, please let me know what you think, and I hope to see you next time! **


End file.
